The additional help comes as crucial relief to residents on the lowest incomes, as water bills rose by £123 (26%) on average across the sector over the last year.
The approach, the first of its kind, uses data sharing to identify households that qualify for Thames Water’s affordability schemes and automatically enrols them, without requiring any action on their part.
The project is in partnership with Policy in Practice, a software and data analytics company that helped clients put £2 billion of unclaimed support into their customers’ pockets a year.
Policy in Practice identified eligible families by analysing administrative data from Lambeth Council alongside Thames Water’s arrears data. These households were then flagged to Thames Water, which then automatically enrolled them onto an affordability scheme, reducing their bills without any need to apply.
As a result of the project, 2,010 households in Lambeth have automatically received an average discount of £405 a year per household off their water bill.
Since the start of the campaign:
- 2,010 households were automatically enrolled into a social tariff worth £814,699 a year
- 1,994 households were automatically enrolled into WaterHelp worth up to £792,514 a year
- 16 households were automatically enrolled into WaterSure worth up to £22,185 a year
- 284 households automatically enrolled into the Extra Support Scheme worth up to £700 off arrears
Word from the Cabinet
Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Judith Cavanagh, said: “Cost of living pressures still present huge challenges for far too many of our residents, so it’s essential that they get all the support they need. In Lambeth, we are still working hard to ensure everyone facing financial difficulties get everything they’re entitled to through our Free School Meal opt-out schemes, energy support programmes and income maximisation support through our Financial Link Workers.
“But, by working in partnership like this, we can guarantee even more financial help reaches the people who need it most. I’m delighted that, through this scheme alone, over two thousand households are sharing more than £800,000 in additional support.”
Nina White, Director of Income at Thames Water, said: “We are passionate about supporting customers who are struggling to pay their bills and this partnership with Policy in Practice allows us to reach thousands of Londoners who previously may have been unaware that our WaterHelp scheme can help them. We’re looking forward to the rollout extending to 18 boroughs across London, with customers enrolled on the scheme automatically if eligible.”
Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder of Policy in Practice, said: “Rising water bills put real pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet. By using data to identify and automatically support households who are eligible, our partnership with Thames Water and local authorities ensures help reaches people quickly, without the burden of navigating complex application processes. It’s a positive step that sets a strong example for the sector.”
A pilot across Richmond and Wandsworth found 2,500 customers eligible with an average saving of nearly £400 per year, with total discounts of around £500,000. The scheme is now being rolled out to a further 18 boroughs across the capital, including Lambeth Council, with the total amount of financial support provided is expected to exceed £10 million.
