Southern Water signs industry leader

In a three-year contract, Siemens -- with an annual turnover of £3.5 billion and a workforce of more than 20,000 -- will read water meters in Southern Water's area of Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Siemens Energy Services, which already works with all of the UK's major water companies on water treatment processes, also provides meter reading services to huge utilities such as British Gas and EDF Energy -- reading meters in more than ten million homes...

April 18, 2007

2 min read

• Southern Water has signed a leading global company with a wide experience of metering to read water meters in the South East.

SUSSEX, U.K., April 17, 2007 -- In a three-year contract, Siemens -- with an annual turnover of £3.5 billion and a workforce of more than 20,000 -- will read water meters in Southern Water's area of Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Siemens Energy Services, which already works with all of the UK's major water companies on water treatment processes, also provides meter reading services to huge utilities such as British Gas and EDF Energy -- reading meters in more than ten million homes.

By joining Siemens's portfolio of clients, Southern Water will be able to take advantage of economies which can be passed back to customers. Said Jon Crooke, Southern Water's Operations Manager: "Siemens has demonstrated that it delivers the high standards we demand for our customers. We have major improvements to deliver and using industry leaders such as Siemens will enable us to do so more efficiently.

"As a regulated business we have a duty to deliver improvements and efficiencies and using external providers in this way is enabling us to do that.

"It is enhancing the company's overall performance and allowing us to focus on providing a better deal for our four million customers."

Siemens meter readers all carry an identity card bearing a name, employee number and a recent colour photograph. Identity cards, uniforms and vans all carry the Siemens logo and uniforms also carry the words "Siemens working in partnership with Southern Water." On their identity cards the number of Siemens' main office, 0800 0152221, is printed for householders to call, free of charge, to check whether the meter reader is genuine.

Meters will continue to be read every six months and customers will continue to receive bills directly from Southern Water.

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