Ofwat publishes its final determination for water bills in Yorkshire

Yorkshire Water customers are set to benefit from lower water bills over the next two years under final proposals outlined today (Thursday November 26) by water industry regulator Ofwat.

Following Ofwat's Final Determination on prices and investment levels, water and sewerage bills will fall by an average of £4 per year in the first two years of the period 2010-2015 and increase by just £1 by 2015. This will take the average bill from £331 to £332 over the period, an increase of just 20p per year above inflation.

The Determination is also good news for the Yorkshire economy, with £1.9 billion of new infrastructure investment pumped into the region, underpinning the security of thousands of local jobs and providing a much needed boost to local firms.

Kevin Whiteman, chief executive said: "We will be carefully considering the detail over the coming weeks. However, our investment plans were built around delivering what customers told us they wanted from us and we welcome the confirmation from Ofwat on the additional investment in sewer flooding and bathing water quality in particular.

"The company's track record for efficiency, recognised as benchmark in the industry, means that we were able to submit a plan which promised further service and environmental improvements for the people of Yorkshire, whilst at the same time maintained stable pricing over the five year period. We believe we have struck the right balance."

The company has until the end of January to consider Ofwat's plans.

Yorkshire Water provides contracts and work to over 1000 local businesses and supports many thousands of local jobs. The company's continued investment programme plays a vital role in the economic wellbeing of the region.

For full details of today's announcement, go to www.ofwat.gov.uk

You can read a copy of Yorkshire Water's Final Business Plan submission at www.yorkshirewater.com/aboutus

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