In a response by Affinity Water to Defra’s SPS statement, issued at the beginning of February, the water company outlined some concerns, suggesting phased approaches are likely to present benefits in all sectors rather than a focus on single issues in single sectors.
With the recent Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) open letter to the sector regulators also calling for a conversation about intergenerational affordability between sectors to make sure that customers can afford their household bills, and the current affordability crisis in energy markets, Affinity Water believes we need a mature conversation about how household bills are paid in the infrastructure-heavy sectors and how investment is phased while continuing to support those that struggle to pay household bills.
The company thinks that phased approaches are likely to present benefits in all sectors – and state: ‘focus on resolving single issues in single sectors may not result in an efficient outcome as learning and innovation cannot be applied in successive phases of investment’.
The water company also said we need to decide whether water companies should charge for more discretionary use of water, citing garden watering and filling large inflatable pools as an unnecessary increase on demand during summer months.