Every five years water companies submit a business plan to the regulator, Ofwat, which sets out what they hope to achieve in the following five years, and how all the costs involved are to be paid for.

Ofwat scrutinises each plan and decides what customers pay for each of the five years.

In April 2013 we merged with Cambridge Water and on 2 December 2013 we published a single business plan for the period 2015-20, which covers both regions.

The business plan is a result of extensive customer research received during nearly two years of work, which has seen 4,500 customers, including 800 business customers, consulted during research studies.

South Staffs Water also set up and worked closely with a Customer Challenge Group, comprising representatives from stakeholders like the Consumer Council for Water, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency, along with local councillors and business operators.

By listening to our customers and holding meetings with the Customer Challenge Group we identified the following key outcomes for our business:

• Excellent water quality now and in the future
• Secure and reliable supplies now and in the future
• An excellent customer experience to customers and the community
• Operations that are environmentally sustainable
• Fair customer bills and fair investor returns

Each of these outcomes is addressed in our business plan.

Attached to each outcome is an Outcome Delivery Incentive (ODI) which is a challenging target we have set for our performance.

Associated documents
October 2013

At the end of the consultation, the Customer Challenge Group provided an Assurance report to Ofwat.

June 2014

We submitted an update to our 2015-2020 Business Plan and further supporting evidence to our regulator, Ofwat.

October 2014

We submitted our representations to Ofwat on their Draft Determination.

January 2015

Ofwat finalised the measures of success we will use to report on our performance from 2015 to 2020.

Attached to some of these measures are financial incentives (rewards and penalties), either for outstanding performance or poor performance.

Ofwat also requested that we adjust our financial incentives to match our menu choice. Our final performance commitments and financial incentives detailed below came into effect from 1 April 2015.

Each year, we will publish a report of our performance in these measures of success.