Detail
This document sets out our proposal to the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers for changes to the standards of performance and associated payments set out in the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 (the GSS Regulations), which standards and payments are collectively known as the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). It also forms our formal response to the views raised in response to our September consultation ‘Customer protection in a retail market: Guaranteed Standards Scheme – a consultation’. In particular, we propose additional GSS regulations so that more non-household customers are protected by it, regardless of their water supply or sewerage service provider. We have published our final impact assessment on these changes alongside this document. All customers of appointed companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, through the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). This is laid down by the UK Government in the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 (the 'GSS Regulations'). Currently, the GSS applies only to existing companies that are appointed as water only and water and sewerage companies (‘appointed companies’). It does not yet apply to new entrant retailers licensed under the new ‘retail authorisations’ (water supply and sewerage service licences or ‘WSSLs’) introduced by the Water Act 2014. These WSSL holders could enter the retail market from April 2017.