Water conversations online among the general public have surged, according to research on consumer priorities from the Consumer Council for Water.
Compared to last year’s findings, water mentions on social media, blogs and forums increased by 35%, with spikes tied to key events such as Thames Water's ongoing debt challenges and Southern Water's bill hike announcement.
The work, by Yonder Consulting, also found consumer scrutiny of water companies to be growing, and consumers to be linking multiple priorities, such as smart meters and pollution. Consumer opinions were also more polarised than last year.
In terms of consumer priorities, pollution (especially from sewage) remained the most-discussed issue, but concerns about high bills were up by 229%.
No new priorities surfaced, but lesser priorities that emerged last year had developed:
Views on smart meters became more polarised and conversations shifted from cost-saving benefits to debates about fairness, accuracy, and consumer choice.
Conversations about company finances evolved from general discussions to appear a more pressing concern.
Discussions about water quality, particularly safety, intensified, with comments moving away from personal anecdotes to broader worries about safety and sewage contamination, amplified by high-profile news stories.
On infrastructure responsibility, conversations shifted from being focused on household maintenance (such as stopcocks) to broader issues like infrastructure failures affecting local communities.
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