Independent multi-utility network operator mua Group has partnered with South East Water to provide billing services to support its regulated water business.
Newly licensed in June 2024, mua has appointed South East Water to bill customers on its behalf under an initial three-year contract, with the option to extend.
South East Water will be operating a mua Water-branded online billing portal and telephone support service, as well as sending mua Water-branded bills to mua customers across the country. The billing service will be for drinking water and waste water, depending on the services each customer receives.
mua is operating across England and Wales under the New Appointment and Variation (NAV) regime within the Ofwat Regulations, which allows new suppliers to enter the market. mua adopts, owns and operates water and wastewater networks, providing drinking water and sewerage services to homes in new developments nationwide.
South East Water, which provides drinking water to 2.3 million customers in parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, already has well established joint billing operations with Southern Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent Connect, as well as other NAVs, Icosa Water Services and ESP Water.
Tanya Sephton, Customer Services Director at South East Water, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with mua as it joins the water market.
“Partnering with mua, and providing their third party billing operations, enables us to continue to grow our commercial operations outside of the south east.
“Working with NAVs across the country is an opportunity we very much welcome. We are keen to utilise our extensive experience of water and expand this side of our business by offering similar services to other water and sewerage operators.”
Kristian Marsden, Asset Investment Director at mua Group, said:
“In expanding into the water sector, it was imperative to us that we deliver high-quality billing services to our new residential customers.
“We’re proud to partner with South East Water for our retail billing and collection services. Through the seamless digital billing platform, operated on our behalf by South East Water, we aim to make the billing process as easy and straightforward as possible for our customers.”
