Company performance published to improve data quality and customer experience in business water market
Customers in the retail water market are set to benefit from a new move today by market operator MOSL to drive a step-change in tackling poor data in the market.
Improving data quality is critical for customers to get accurate information on bills, make choices between suppliers and services, and switch suppliers efficiently if they want to.
As a first step in casting a sharper spotlight on performance, MOSL is today publishing for the first time comparative company data on the acute problem of meters which have not been read for a long time, some for more than two years, to the public. This data is available on our website here.
Market rules require no more than six months between meter readings, but the proportion of meters that have gone unread for more than a year has more than doubled since the market opened in April 2017, from 7% to the current level of 15%. This includes more than 5% of meters which have not had a “read” submitted for more than two years.
This new move will also increase the market’s openness and transparency CEO, Des Burke, said new measures were needed to drive the improvements in data quality needed for customers to reap the full benefits of the new market.
He said: “Customers need accurate information to make choices and get the services they need, so it’s critical to step up the work sorting out poor quality data in the market. We have been working with companies for some time to tackle the worst issues, like meters left unread for years, but while some are delivering on commitments they gave us others are struggling to do so, and some performance is actually getting worse. That clearly must change for this market to deliver for its customers, and this new move will help that.”
In September 2018 last year MOSL called for Data Improvement Plans from all trading parties. These plans focus on the most serious areas of poor-quality data including meter reading and wholesaler meter asset data quality which materially affect the ability of retailers to read meters. Three months into these plans, some companies have achieved the levels of improvement forecast in their plans but many of the forecast levels of improvement have not been achieved.
MOSL is calling for additional focus on this key issue from retailers and wholesalers, including working more closely together.
Publishing this data is part of MOSL’s continued commitment to provide clarity, accountability and transparency in the high priority areas of improvement needed to help customers.
