Jersey Water has today announced its 2019 charges for water. From April, prices for water and standing charges will increase by 3.8%. This increase is below the most recent inflation figure of 4.3% and is equivalent to 4 pence per day for the average household.
Helier Smith, Jersey Water’s Chief Executive, said “For the past 20 years, Jersey Water has applied a policy of limiting annual price increases to no more than inflation in all but two years. During that time, by applying this policy, the price of water has fallen in real terms by approximately 16% after inflation.”
“We face continuous pressure on costs as we invest to comply with new legislation, manage water quality and enhance the resilience of the Island’s water supply infrastructure. However, we have been able to limit our price increases over the past two decades and again this year by focussing on efficiency to manage the impact on customer bills. This has been achieved whilst consistently delivering very high quality water and excellent customer service to the community that we serve.”
“In 2018, water supplied by Jersey Water was the highest quality to date with a compliance rate of 99.99%, leakage was the lowest on record – down by 19% on the prior year and customers scored the Company with a satisfaction index of 86.5%, placing Jersey Water well ahead of the Institute of Customer Services UK Customer Satisfaction Index for utilities of 74.7%.”
“Over the course of the coming year, Jersey Water will continue the work begun in 2018 on its Water Resources Management Plan which aims to identify the actions required to ensure the Island has sufficient water resources to meet demand over the next 25 years. The Company will consult with stakeholders on proposed measures to address any water quality and resource challenges and their impact on future charges, which will need to reflect the importance of addressing those challenges to meet the expectations of Jersey residents and businesses.”
“Water resources in Jersey are finite, we are therefore keen to help islanders become more water efficient and in turn keep their bills down. During the year we implemented a new water efficiency calculator (the aqKWa savings engine), where customers can use a tailored water savings calculator which compares their water consumption to the average for Jersey and suggests specific ways in which they can reduce both their water consumption and energy use. Jersey Water also provide customers with free water saving devices, which can now be ordered directly through the savings engine on our website (www.jerseywater.je).”