What are my rights as a South East Water customer amid latest supply outage?
Around 7,500 SEW customers are still without drinking water for a sixth day.
Tens of thousands of South East Water customers in Sussex and Kent have been affected by the latest supply outage, with around 7,500 still without drinking water for a sixth day.
Storm Goretti, which swept across the UK last week, disrupted the water supply in the two counties, South East Water (SEW) said.
Residents are sometimes left unsure as to what exactly they are entitled to or what support they can receive when without supply.
The Government has recently updated its Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS), increasing the amount of compensation people affected by water outages are entitled to.
The GSS regulations apply to all customers, and if a company fails to meet any of the guaranteed standards set out, you are entitled to a payment.
Here we look at what support and compensation people affected in Sussex and Kent may be entitled to:
– What should I be told?
When water supply is interrupted or cut off to carry out works in an emergency, the company must notify customers when it is “reasonably practicable” to do so.
Customers must be told the following:
– That the supply has been interrupted or cut off
– Where alternative supply can be obtained
– The time by which supply will be restored
– The phone number from which further information can be obtained
If a company fails to properly notify you of these details, you may be entitled to compensation.
– What water should be provided while supply is interrupted?
Water companies are entitled to give you free bottled water in the event of an outage, providing at least 10 litres per person per day without water.
This is usually via bottled water collection points or deliveries.
There have been reports of sites to collect water being called “courtesy bottled water sites”, however, this is something the company is legally obliged to do, rather than being a courtesy.
– What compensation am I entitled to?
SEW has said it is “fully committed to compensating fairly” customers affected in the latest outage, although it is unclear exactly how much at this stage.
If your supply is not restored within 12 hours of the company finding out about an interruption, you should be automatically paid compensation.
For every following 12-hour window, you should receive a further payment.
You should be paid £50 originally and £50 for each subsequent 12 hours.
If any of the guaranteed standards (GSS) are not met, customers could be entitled to up to £2,000 of compensation.
The exact amount you are entitled to, however, will depend on the level of disruption and some exemptions may apply.
According to Ofwat, England and Wales’s water regulator, companies should automatically make payments where required, but if they fail to pay on time, you could be entitled to a further £40 to £100.
For businesses, these amounts may differ. For the previous SEW outage between November 29 and December 4, the firm said it was establishing a “separate fund”, which took the total compensation package for businesses up to £2.5 million.
– What about exemptions for compensation?
Some exemptions apply to the compensation requirements, including when an outage has been caused by a severe weather event.
As the current outage was caused by a combination of factors, rather than solely Storm Goretti, this exemption is unlikely to apply.
“Leaks and bursts across the network following the rapid change in temperature had an impact, as did not receiving the usual bulk supply of treated water into our networks”, SEW said.
The company’s customer services director, Tanya Sephton, said the company will “provide information on both Guaranteed Standards of Service payments at the earliest opportunity”.
Whether a payment is made or not, it does not affect your right to take legal action against a company for any loss or damage.
