Customer care
We value your feedback
Every customer is important to us, and our aim is to deliver the best experience and give you the service you expect all day, every day.
We work hard to make sure we get things right, first time, every time. Whether your experience was positive or you’re unhappy about our work or service, we’d like to hear from you. Your feedback is important, so we can either learn from things that have gone really well or quickly put things right for you.
How to get in touch
Talking to us is the quickest way to resolve your complaint, but you can choose whichever method suits you best.
Bills and payments
Make it matter - our commitment as a sector
Our Customer Complaints Charter
At Essex & Suffolk Water, we are committed to delivering excellent service. However, we recognise that sometimes things can go wrong. When they do, we want to make it easy for you to tell us, and for us to put things right quickly and fairly.
Our commitment to you
We are committed to:
- Listening to your concerns with empathy and respect.
- Being open, honest and transparent.
- Taking ownership of the issue and resolving it quickly.
- Giving you a dedicated case owner as a single point of contact.
- Sharing feedback across the sector to help improve services for all customers.
Find out about our complaints charter:
Understanding your complaint: We will listen carefully to your concerns, clarify what has happened and understand what you would like us to do to put things right.
- Resolution timeline: We aim to resolve your complaint within five working days, or provide a clear plan of next steps within 10 days if more time is needed.
- Preferred contact method: You will be able to contact us in a way that suits you. We will always offer telephone as part of those choices as having a conversation can often help get the issue resolved quickly.
Single point of contact: From the moment your complaint is received, a dedicated case owner will be assigned to manage your case from start to finish.
- Our people are empowered to make decisions, and challenge what has happened to help resolve your issue.
- Consistency and accountability: Your case owner will be responsible for keeping you informed, coordinating any necessary actions, and ensuring a timely and satisfactory resolution.
- Direct communication: You will have direct contact details for your case owner, making it easier to stay updated and ask questions.
Clear outcomes: We will either resolve the issue or clearly explain the steps we are taking to reach a resolution.
- Signposting: If your issue is outside our responsibility, we will direct you to the appropriate organisation for support.
- Accountability: If we haven’t got it right, we will apologise and where appropriate we will apply the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) without quibble and go further where necessary.
We will communicate with you in a helpful, friendly, clear, respectful, and jargon-free manner.
- You will be kept informed throughout the process, with regular updates on progress and a written follow up where required.
- We will ensure your preferred method of communication is respected.
Customer feedback: We will ask for your opinion to understand your experience and identify areas for improvement.
- Executive oversight: Complaints are reviewed at the executive level, with monthly reporting to ensure accountability and continuous learning.
- Training and development: Insights from complaints will be used to improve staff training and service delivery.
- Industry complaints learning – we will share our learning across the sector so we all improve and build customer trust, coming together twice a year to set out best practice.
You can make a complaint via a variety of channels:
Phone
Bills and payments - call 0345 782 0111
We're available Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturday from 8am to 1pm, excluding bank holidays.
Water supply queries - call 0345 782 0999
We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if you need to speak to us about issues such as a loss of water.
Please note, we only provide fresh water services. For sewerage and wastewater queries, please contact your sewerage provider. Find your sewerage provider at Water UK (opens in a new window).
Message us on WhatsApp (opens in a new window), or scan the QR code if you're on your phone. We'll get back to you within 48 hours.
Online
You can complete our online complaints form (opens in a new window).
Post
You can also write to us at:
Essex & Suffolk Water
Northumbria House
Abbey Road
Pity Me
Durham
DH1 5FJ
You can use AI to help write your complaint, but you do not have to. Simply tell us what happened, we will listen and consider your complaint fairly.
If you are not satisfied with progress, you have a right of appeal to a stage 2 for a further company independent review.
If you are not happy with the final resolution, or your issue is over eight weeks old, or you just want some free, trusted, independent advice, you can contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). CCW is the independent voice for water consumers in England and Wales.
You can call them on 0300 034 2222 or complete their online complaint form (opens in a new window).
We want to do our part, and we kindly ask that you do the same.
- Our team is here to support you. Please treat them with the respect they deserve.
- We welcome your feedback, but we ask that all conversations remain respectful.
- Join us in creating a positive experience for everyone, speak kindly, act respectfully.
- We have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse. Let’s keep our spaces safe for all.
We have signed up and are committed to the Institute of Customer Service – Service with respect campaign.
Our Guaranteed Standards of Service
For further information about the service we guarantee to provide to you, read our Codes of Practice.
Contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) - the voice for water consumers
If you're unhappy with our response, or if you don't want to wait beyond eight weeks we'll tell you how you can contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) - the voice for water consumers. You can visit their website at www.ccw.org.uk (opens in a new window).
Support when you need it most
Are you sure?
Changes are waiting to be saved