Hearing from our customers

We have undertaken our largest ever programme of research and engagement with customers and stakeholders to develop and support our business plan. This included commissioning our own innovative research to deeply understand our customers’ views and values, and a programme of collaboration with our regional partners and national groups to understand our customers in the wider context. As a result, we have engaged with 380,000 customers throughout the development of our business plan, along with our ‘business as usual’ engagement that happens every day.

How did we engage?

We have engaged in a variety of ways including direct emails, social media posts, online surveys, in-person focus groups, discussions and surveys with our water community group, and wide-reaching consultations. We have also run two live ‘Your water, your say’ events to reach out to customers and inform them about our business plan. We have discussed topics such as what our customers’ priorities are and how much they value the different services we provide, where they think we should invest more, how we should communicate and how we should support those in vulnerable circumstances.

We have shared our approach, materials, and progress across the business and with our Independent Challenge Group (ICG).

To find out more this page contains a number of useful documents and links:

  • Hear about at a high level what our customers told us in our 'What customers and stakeholders want' summary
  • Find details about the process we followed, how we triangulated our findings and how insight changed our plans.
  • See a log of all the research we have conducted
  • See the individual research reports listed in the documents section on this page (can't find what you need let us know)

We have undertaken our largest ever programme of research and engagement with customers and stakeholders to develop and support our business plan. This included commissioning our own innovative research to deeply understand our customers’ views and values, and a programme of collaboration with our regional partners and national groups to understand our customers in the wider context. As a result, we have engaged with 380,000 customers throughout the development of our business plan, along with our ‘business as usual’ engagement that happens every day.

How did we engage?

We have engaged in a variety of ways including direct emails, social media posts, online surveys, in-person focus groups, discussions and surveys with our water community group, and wide-reaching consultations. We have also run two live ‘Your water, your say’ events to reach out to customers and inform them about our business plan. We have discussed topics such as what our customers’ priorities are and how much they value the different services we provide, where they think we should invest more, how we should communicate and how we should support those in vulnerable circumstances.

We have shared our approach, materials, and progress across the business and with our Independent Challenge Group (ICG).

To find out more this page contains a number of useful documents and links:

  • Hear about at a high level what our customers told us in our 'What customers and stakeholders want' summary
  • Find details about the process we followed, how we triangulated our findings and how insight changed our plans.
  • See a log of all the research we have conducted
  • See the individual research reports listed in the documents section on this page (can't find what you need let us know)

  • Hearing from our customers

    What have our customers told us they want from our business plan?



    What have we changed as a result of their feedback?

    We've ensured:

    • Our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) prioritises demand-side reductions and leakage first while securing a range of strategic options to protect supplies in the future
    • Our work on biodiversity will extend our existing collaborative partnerships
    • Our plans to reduce abstraction from chalk aquifers will go beyond what is legally required
    • We extend our lead replacement plans to proactively focus on customer pipes as well as our own pipes
    • We will pace our delivery on ‘net zero’ to ensure we optimise new technologies
    • We have a mix of support options to help reduce costs and improve services for those more vulnerable in our communities


    What have our customers told us they want from our business plan?



    What have we changed as a result of their feedback?

    We've ensured:

    • Our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) prioritises demand-side reductions and leakage first while securing a range of strategic options to protect supplies in the future
    • Our work on biodiversity will extend our existing collaborative partnerships
    • Our plans to reduce abstraction from chalk aquifers will go beyond what is legally required
    • We extend our lead replacement plans to proactively focus on customer pipes as well as our own pipes
    • We will pace our delivery on ‘net zero’ to ensure we optimise new technologies
    • We have a mix of support options to help reduce costs and improve services for those more vulnerable in our communities


  • Our relationship with our stakeholders and our regulators

    Who are our stakeholders and our regulators?



    Our regulators challenge what we do

    Our activities and the levels of service we provide are subject to independent scrutiny and regulation by a number of bodies including Defra, Ofwat, Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Environment Agency (EA) and Consumer Council for Water (CCW). But we also receive additional challenge from our Independent Challenge Group (ICG).

    Our ICG have been with us at every step of the process in developing our plan, ensuring we are delivering high quality research and taking customer views into account to deliver what our customers and stakeholders need and expect. You can learn more about our ICG in our video on this page.


    We work together with our stakeholders...

    In addition to customer insight, we've engaged widely with our stakeholders either through more formal consultations, wider engagement events, local events, or one-to-ones and gathered feedback on their views on both our shorter and long-term plans. As well as official regulators, we work with all levels of government, from district councils to MPs, across all the major parties on everything from co-ordinating roadworks to planning for large projects such as reservoirs and transfers.

    ...for the environment

    We have a number of river protection groups, such as Friends of the River Chess, RevIvel, Friends of the Minram, River Beane Restoration Association, Misbourne River Action Group, Herts &Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the Chilterns Society as well as local branches of the NFU, who are involved in our efforts to reduce water pollution and abstraction from chalk streams and we work very closely with organisations such as Chalk Streams First. We also collaborate across the water industry, with the wider regional challenge of future water resources we are active members of both Water Resources South East and Water Resources East often co-ordinating events with other water companies to maximise engagement and look at effective and innovative solutions.



    ...for our customers

    We work with debt charities, foodbanks, and housing associations to help support vulnerable customers and increase awareness of our social tariffs.

    We also work with developers and house builders to look at ways of making properties increasingly water efficient, to reduce consumption with both behavioural and technological means.

    Who are our stakeholders and our regulators?



    Our regulators challenge what we do

    Our activities and the levels of service we provide are subject to independent scrutiny and regulation by a number of bodies including Defra, Ofwat, Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Environment Agency (EA) and Consumer Council for Water (CCW). But we also receive additional challenge from our Independent Challenge Group (ICG).

    Our ICG have been with us at every step of the process in developing our plan, ensuring we are delivering high quality research and taking customer views into account to deliver what our customers and stakeholders need and expect. You can learn more about our ICG in our video on this page.


    We work together with our stakeholders...

    In addition to customer insight, we've engaged widely with our stakeholders either through more formal consultations, wider engagement events, local events, or one-to-ones and gathered feedback on their views on both our shorter and long-term plans. As well as official regulators, we work with all levels of government, from district councils to MPs, across all the major parties on everything from co-ordinating roadworks to planning for large projects such as reservoirs and transfers.

    ...for the environment

    We have a number of river protection groups, such as Friends of the River Chess, RevIvel, Friends of the Minram, River Beane Restoration Association, Misbourne River Action Group, Herts &Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the Chilterns Society as well as local branches of the NFU, who are involved in our efforts to reduce water pollution and abstraction from chalk streams and we work very closely with organisations such as Chalk Streams First. We also collaborate across the water industry, with the wider regional challenge of future water resources we are active members of both Water Resources South East and Water Resources East often co-ordinating events with other water companies to maximise engagement and look at effective and innovative solutions.



    ...for our customers

    We work with debt charities, foodbanks, and housing associations to help support vulnerable customers and increase awareness of our social tariffs.

    We also work with developers and house builders to look at ways of making properties increasingly water efficient, to reduce consumption with both behavioural and technological means.

Page last updated: 30 Apr 2026, 04:25 PM