Annual Report 2015
school visits to biodiversity projects
that will enhance the environment,
we will raise our profile and develop
strong and lasting partnerships.
Operations that are environmentally
sustainable
Our long term track record on
leakage is good and we will aim
to maintain this high level of
performance. Th e average level of
leakage during 2014/15 was below
the target set by Ofwat although
higher than 2013/14, primarily due to
an increase in burst mains.
Our commitment to the environment
will see us deliver innovative
biodiversity projects across our
regions, and at the same time, we are
committed to reducing our carbon
emissions from the power we use to
pump water around our networks.
We will continue to invite our
communities to visit our sites that
are open to the public and continue
to promote an active education
programme to support local
12
school children in growing their
knowledge of the water cycle and the
environment we live in.
Fair customer bills
We are committed to making sure our
bills remain affordable. Our customer
bills have been 24% lower than the
national average and, over the next
five years, we are committed to
ensuring our bills will fall by 4% in real
terms and will continue to support
our most vulnerable customers
with help when they need it most.
During 2014/2015, we provided debt
support to 17,866 customers across
both regions.
For customers that struggle with bills,
we have a range of solutions including
our Charitable Trust, Water Direct and
WaterSure. The year ahead will see us
develop our strategy on affordability
and shape our approach to offering
a social tariff for customers that need
additional financial support, which is
expected to launch in April 2016.
Over the next five years, we will
engage each year with 30,000
customers in debt, helping them
manage their water accounts and take
control of their water consumption
through metering. Many customers
are better off on a meter, particularly
if they combine this with water
efficiencies in the home and in the
garden. We will continue working
to support customers switching to a
meter where they choose to or it is in
their interests.
Our people are our business
We recognise the outstanding
commitment of our employees.
There has been an even greater
focus on employee safety and this
is endorsed by our target to reduce
accidents within the workplace by a
further 10% over the next 12 months.
We are also committed to making
South Staffs Water a great place to
work. Our employee survey has played
an important role in us understanding
the feelings and motivations of our
people and we will continue to use