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THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION – Improving Transparency To End-users of Water Services Álvaro Carvalho, David Alves
9th IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition
Lisbon, September 2014
AGENDA
1. Introduction W&S services in Portugal
Consumer protection & Right to information
Sound information – the regulators’ role
2. Goals & Method Review of utilities’ websites
3. Facts & Figures How important is information to the users?
Website surveys - main results
4. Recommendations & Next Steps How can we improve standards?
Where do we go from here?
1. INTRODUCTION
W&S services in Portugal
Challenges: operators number & size, development stage,
management model and services provided
1. INTRODUCTION
Consumer protection & right to information Monopolies vs freedom of choice
Essential public services… special public service obligations
Progressive universalisation
Quality of service
Transparency in service provision
Information to end-users
1. INTRODUCTION
Right to information
What?
Changes occured in utilities
Opening times
Contracting rights & duties
Tariffs
Consumption (real or estimated)
Drinking water quality
Service interruptions
Where?
Website
Service regulations
Contract
Meter reading &
billing
Helpdesk
1. INTRODUCTION
Sound information – the regulator’s role
Good practices: Recommendation no. 1/2010 (invoice contents)
Capacity building: Technical Guide no. 20 (handbook)
Information to end-users: Communication campaign (FAQ &
leaflets)
Information lacking on operators websites?
- “fines from 10.000€ up to 500.000€”
No fines + Informed users!
GOALS & METHOD
Review of websites of 343 water &
waste utilities in mainland Portugal: operator ID, competences and geographical
scope;
statutes and legal title;
annual reports and accounts;
service regulations;
tariffs;
contract conditions;
drinking water quality results, and other
quality of service indicators;
information on service suspension;
contacts and opening hours.
Goals: baseline situation, induce
improvements, enable next steps
GOALS & METHOD
Research and validation of 343 websites in 3
phases: 1. May – October 2012:
ERSAR searched and validated the contents of the websites
2. March – April 2013: Utilities called to comment on the results and perform the
required adjustments
3. June – September 2013: New search in the websites
Cross-checking of results with the answers from the utilities
Public disclosure of the results
FACTS & FIGURES
How important is information to the users? Consumers still give little value to information…
% of complaints received at ERSAR where complainers
claimed having insufficient or wrong information from utilities
FACTS & FIGURES
How important is information to the users? …but some complaints could be avoided by better informed
users.
Distribution of complaints in relation to the ruling of ERSAR
FACTS & FIGURES
Websites reviews - main results
FACTS & FIGURES
General improvement after ERSAR intervention
Compliance rate above 50%
Some cases 90% (ID, reports and accounts, drinking water
quality)
Low record on service regulations, contract conditions and
information on service suspension
Assessment No. of utilities %
Already provided all
information 38 11.1%
Corrected all loopholes after
questioning 43 12.5%
Corrected some loopholes
but problems still remain 93 27.1%
No answer and problems still
remain 169 49.3%
Total 343 100%
RECOMMENDATIONS
How can we improve standards? Tariffs
Clear information on fixed & variable tariffs, domestic &
non-domestic users or charges for connection & cut-offs
Need for autonomous tariff documents (not in price tables)
and contract conditions (not in local regulations)
Contracts clear and precise information about measuring, billing and
collection; suspension of service; tariffs; complaints and
conflict resolution
Websites layout Identify an area for service suspensions events
Aggregate relevant information in dedicated area
(multiservice utilities)
Some operators go beyond legal requirements Consumers can request service contracts, provide
readings of water meters, make on-line bill payments…
NEXT STEPS
Where do we go from here? Non-binding Recommendation by the regulator with
guidelines and good practices
Streamline monitoring to an annual cycle (tariffs approval)
Embed the website monitoring in “Portal ERSAR” (ICT)
Step-up on disclosure of information: website ERSAR/ App
ERSAR/Social Media
Highlight best & worst cases (“name & shame”)
Assessment of end-user satisfaction (national/local survey)
Warnings & fines
