The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

7 Amendment of regulation 17D

(1) Regulation 17D (complaints, account queries and requests about payment arrangements) is amended as follows. (2) In paragraph (1)— (a) for sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) substitute— (a) an English service provider receives a valid complaint from a customer about the supply of water or the provision of sewerage services by the provider; (b) an English wholesaler receives a valid complaint from a customer about the water supply system or sewerage system of the wholesaler; or (c) an English service provider, apart from in cases of self-supply, receives— (i) a valid query from a customer about the correctness of an account for the supply of water or the provision of sewerage services; or (ii) a valid request from a customer for a change to payment arrangements. . (3) After paragraph (1) insert— (1A) In this regulation— “valid complaint” means a complaint (however made) which— includes the name of the customer and at least one of the following— an address for correspondence; an email address for correspondence; a contact telephone number; includes, if not given as an address for correspondence under paragraph (a), the address of the premises in respect of which the customer is supplied with water or, as the case may be, provided with sewerage services; and describes the particular event or issue to which it relates; “valid query” means a query (however made) which— includes the name of the customer and at least one of the following— an address for correspondence; an email address for correspondence; a contact telephone number; includes, if not given as an address for correspondence under paragraph (a) the address of, or other means of identifying, the premises to which it relates; and describes what is being queried; “valid request” means a request (however made) which— includes the name of the customer and at least one of the following— an address for correspondence; an email address for correspondence; a contact telephone number; includes, if not given as an address for correspondence under paragraph (a), the address of the premises in respect of which the customer is supplied with water or, as the case may be, provided with sewerage services, and identifies the particular payment arrangements to which it relates; and describes the change that the customer wants to make to the arrangements. . (4) For paragraph (2) substitute— (2) An English duty-holder who receives a valid complaint must provide a substantive reply to the complaint to the customer within 10 working days. . (5) In paragraph (3)— (a) in sub-paragraph (a), for “query” substitute “valid query”; (b) in sub-paragraph (b), for “request” substitute “valid request”. (6) For paragraph (4) substitute— (4) The first day of the period for reply is the day after the day on which the English duty-holder receives the valid complaint, valid query or valid request. . (7) In paragraph (5)(a) for “£20” substitute “£40”. (8) Omit paragraph (6). (9) In paragraph (7)— (a) for sub-paragraph (a) substitute— (a) the customer makes the complaint, query or request using an alternative means of communication, the means used by the consumer is not a valid alternative means of communication; (aa) a customer makes a complaint, query or request to an English duty-holder by post or other similar service or email, the customer did not make the complaint to the English duty-holder at a valid address or a valid email address; (ab) a complaint, query or request is made orally by telephone, the telephone number used to make the complaint was not a valid telephone number; ; (b) for sub-paragraph (e) substitute— (e) the complaint, query or request was frivolous or vexatious; (ea) in the case of a reply to a complaint or query, the English duty-holder reasonably considered that a visit was necessary before replying, and severe weather made that visit impracticable. . (10) After paragraph (7) insert— (7A) For the purposes of this regulation— (a) an alternative means of communication is a means of communication other than— (i) post or a similar service; (ii) email; (iii) telephone; (iv) a website provided by or on behalf of the English duty-holder, and includes in particular communication via a social media service, SMS or other messaging service; (b) an alternative means of communication is a valid alternative means of communication if that means of communication has been specified by the English duty-holder to the customer as a means by which a complaint, request or query (as the case may be) may be made to it. . (11) For paragraph (8) substitute— (8) For the purposes of this regulation— (a) an address is a valid address if it is an address notified by the English duty-holder as an address to which a complaint, query or request (as the case may be) may be sent; (b) an email address is a valid email address if it is an email address notified by the English duty-holder as an email address to which a complaint, query or request (as the case may be) may be sent; (c) a telephone number is a valid telephone number if it is a telephone number notified by the English duty-holder as a telephone number which may be used to make a complaint, query or request (as the case may be). .