• Scottish households on average paying £20 less for water than in England and Wales; Scottish Water's running costs 40% cheaper than 7 years ago
Feb. 19, 2009 -- Scottish households are an average of twenty pounds better off this year than their English and Welsh counterparts, thanks to Scottish Water's improvements in performance.
That's according to a report published today by Scotland's water industry regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).
Alan Sutherland, Chief Executive of WICS commented: "We are pleased to report that Scottish Water has met its targets for running costs, beating our expectations by five per cent. These savings are being passed on to Scottish households and businesses."
The report, 'Cost and Performance 2007-08' shows that in response to targets set by WICS, Scottish Water's running costs have dropped by 40 per cent since it was established in 2002. Savings to date are estimated at 180 million pounds.
Alan Sutherland continued: "Scottish Water should be congratulated on its achievements which are helping to keep customers bills lower than they would otherwise have been.
"Scottish Water has come a long way since it was established, reducing running costs whilst improving service. This has been achieved despite challenges such as rising energy prices and higher local authority rates.
"We expect that, by 2010, the average Scottish household bill will be twenty-eight pounds lower than the average in England and Wales."
WICS is a non-departmental public body with statutory responsibilities. It was established in 2005 with a remit to manage an effective regulatory framework which encourages the Scottish water industry to provide a high-quality service and value for money to customers.
WICS is currently assessing limits on how much Scottish Water will be able to charge households during 2010-14. It expects to announce its provisional conclusions on 30 June. It predicts that if Scottish Water can continue to perform to target, the current benign outlook for charges can continue beyond 2010.
The Water Industry Commission for Scotland is the economic regulator of the Scottish water industry. It has a statutory duty to determine price limits for Scottish Water based on the lowest reasonable cost of achieving ministerial objectives for the water industry.
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