We have a statutory duty to promote the interests of customers. We do this by setting prices to deliver quality, customer and environmental objectives at the lowest reasonable overall cost.
We published our Final Determination on 26 November 2009, which set charge caps for the period 2010-15. The Final Determination ensures that customers will receive value for money. It challenges Scottish Water to improve its efficiency further and deliver all of the charging and revised investment objectives of the Scottish Government.
• Over the five-year period 2010-15 charges will rise by 5% below the rate of inflation.
- Households will enjoy a price freeze in the first year and, subject to inflation, the prospect of a further price freeze in 2011-12. Household charges will increase by less than inflation between 2012 and 2015.
- Charges for businesses and public sector organisations (except for some users of trade effluent services) will also be frozen in 2010-11 and will thereafter follow the same profile as for households.
- Many businesses and public sector organisations may be able to negotiate an even better deal under the retail competition framework or reduce their bills by helping Scottish Water to lower its costs.
• Customer service should improve so that it matches or betters the service currently provided by the top performing companies in England and Wales.
Scottish Water wrote to us to formally accept the Final Determination on 6 January 2010. It has now prepared a Delivery Plan which sets out how it will deliver the Ministers' objectives for the period 2010-15, and indicates the timescales and milestones for delivery. We will monitor performance against these milestones going forward.