We provide water and sewerage services to Devon, Cornwall and small parts of Dorset and Somerset. Our region is nearly 4,300 square miles (11,137 square kilometres) in size.
There are around 1.8 million residents and around 5 million visitors a year.
We provide clean water to 97% of people, 3% have private supplies.
We take away used water from 88% of people, 12% have private sewerage arrangements like septic tanks.
We’re based in Exeter, our address is:
South West Water Limited
Peninsula House
Rydon Lane
Exeter
Devon
EX2 7HR
We are investing record amounts into the region, with capital investment doubled in 2022/23 to £350m. Over the next two years, we are delivering a record-level £750 million focused on building new water resources, reducing storm overflows, and increasing the use of renewable energy.
At the core of our business plan was the introduction of WaterShare+, which offers customers a direct stake and a real say in our business.
We’re delighted that across the South West, 90,000 customers are now shareholders. More than 50% of Pennons shareholders are customers, charities, UK pension funds and individuals with almost half of the Group's employees, now including Bristol Water, also being shareholders.
As part of our PR24 plans, we are Delivering for Customers and Addressing Affordability: Despite doubling our investment program, we're committed to keeping bills as low as possible and supporting people through the cost of living crisis.
We will:
- Extend our zero-water poverty pledge to 2030
- Ensure fair charging for all our customers
- Accelerate smart metering, helping household customers use 5% less water
- Introducing a £200M affordability package to support our customers
In terms of the impact on bills:
- 74% of customers accept that bills should increase as we invest in our region
- Bill increases starting at £3 and rising to £9 average per month increase for Devon, Cornwall and Isle of Scilly by 2030
- Bill increases starting at £1 and rising to £3 average per month increase in Bristol and Bournemouth by 2030
CEO Susan Davy rejected her bonus this year (2022/23) in recognition of the current climate and acknowledgment that there’s more to do on environmental performance.
As an FTSE-listed business, executive pay is in the public domain, and transparent to customers through WaterShare+ and shareholders.
Our Remuneration policy and outturns are approved independently at Board level. Both the CEO and CFO are paid at the lower end of the FSTE 250, and last year received the lowest annual bonus outturns across the sector (17 companies) for 2021/22, recognising there’s more to do on our environmental performance. No executive was paid a bonus for the non-delivery of environmental targets.