Ofwat has today (4 October) published water companies’ annual service incentive mechanism (SIM) scores for customer service performance.
The average SIM score across the sector rose from 81.6 out of 100 to 82.5. Portsmouth Water topped the table this year, up from 8th last year. Portsmouth Water’s score of 90 is the highest ever achieved by any company since the SIM began in 2010. Wessex Water is once again the highest performing water and sewerage company. Its score of 87 this year and last has earned it second place both times. Southern Water is bottom of the table this year.
| Company | Overall 2015-16
SIM score |
| Portsmouth | 90 |
| Wessex | 87 |
| South Staffordshire | 86 |
| Bournemouth | 86 |
| Bristol | 85 |
| Anglian | 85 |
| Severn Trent | 84 |
| Northumbrian | 84 |
| Dee Valley | 83 |
| Dwr Cymru | 83 |
| Yorkshire | 83 |
| South East | 82 |
| United Utilities | 82 |
| Sutton and East Surrey | 81 |
| South West | 79 |
| Thames | 77 |
| Affinity | 77 |
| Southern | 73 |
| Average | 82.5 |
David Black, Senior Director at Ofwat, said:
We are pleased to see an increase in companies’ average scores for customer service. This shows that our customer service scores continue to be a powerful incentive for driving improvements in how companies deal with their customers and building customers’ trust and confidence in the sector.
Even the best performing companies cannot afford to rest on their laurels. We know that customers increasingly expect water companies to offer the same range and level of service that they find in other sectors. We will continue to make sure that meeting customers’ interests is at the top of companies’ to-do lists.
Notes to editors
- Ofwat’s service incentive mechanism (SIM) is calculated annually. It is made up of two components – the number of complaints companies receive (collected and published by the Consumer Council for Water) and customers’ satisfaction with their company’s handling of queries and resolving issues (from a series of independent surveys commissioned by Ofwat).
- Companies’ SIM scores will contribute towards financial rewards and penalties when Ofwat next sets price controls in 2019.