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Complaints Relating to Services in England

Emergency complaints

If you wish to complain about an emergency such as concerns about water quality, loss of water supply or sewer flooding, please contact your service provider. Contact details are available on our website. Between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, you can obtain this information by calling 01250 718700. Alternatively, we can transfer you through to your service provider.

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Complaints

Castle Water is committed to providing the highest level of customer care and this includes an effective process for handling complaints. If you are concerned about something, let us know so we can put things right. The easiest and quickest way to do this is over the phone or via web chat. Complaints received by telephone and web chat will be dealt with immediately wherever possible.

Webchat

Telephone

01250 718700

Key Account & Trade Effluent

01250 718718

Please note that if we have initiated the process to recover costs through legal channels, any concerns you may have should be addressed directly to our Recoveries Team at recoveries@castlewater.co.uk. Such concerns will not be treated as a complaint.

Alternatively, complaints can be made via the customer portal. Log in to complete a complaints form online, or alternatively, send a copy of your complaint in writing to:
Complaints, Castle Water Limited, 1 Boat Brae, Rattray, Blairgowrie, PH10 7BH

COMPLAINTS FORM

Stage 1

We will investigate and may call you to discuss your complaint. We will propose a resolution or give a substantive update on the progress of resolving the issue, as sometimes a resolution may require us to liaise with other organisations. (for example, if we need to contact the Wholesaler), we will let you know what needs to happen next and keep you updated.

In responding we will:

  • Address all the points you raised in your complaint and provide a clear explanation
  • Apologise and explain what remedial action we have taken if we have fallen short
  • Consider whether we can offer compensation where remedial action is not possible or is insufficient
 

In line with guidelines, for England customers we aim to provide a full response within 10 business days of receipt of your complaint, but if this isn’t possible or if resolution takes longer, we will explain why and provide regular updates and if appropriate, we may place your account on hold. 

If the complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, then you may proceed to the next stage. Please note that if you do not reply to our response to your complaint within 30 days, we may treat any appeal as a new complaint.

Stage 2

Following Stage 1, if the complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can appeal our decision. If possible, please set out your appeal in writing via your complaint case. This helps us to ensure that we have properly understood the details of your complaint and appeal. Your appeal will be considered by Castle Water’s Executive Complaints Team who will undertake an independent internal review and will aim to reach a resolution within 10 business days, but if this isn’t possible or if resolution takes longer, we will explain why and provide regular updates. If appropriate, we will place your account on hold.

If the complaint has still not been resolved to your satisfaction, then you may proceed to the next stage. Please note that if you do not reply to our response to your complaint within 30 days, your appeal may be treated as a new complaint.

Beyond Stage 2

If you have completed Stages 1 and 2 of this procedure and are not satisfied with our response you can ask our CEO to review your complaint by emailing details of your concerns to ceo@castlewater.co.uk. Please include a short summary of the complaint and why you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaints process, and he will carry out a review.

Alternatively, you can also take the matter to an independent body who will consider your complaint and may be able to mediate or investigate. If you have not escalated your complaint via our formal complaints procedure outlined in Stages 1 and 2, your complaint will not be considered and will be referred back to us. Please note that there is no ombudsman for non-household water customers in England.

The ADR Group

The ADR Group run an independent redress scheme and can provide an independent decision, subject to the rules of the scheme and being eligible for a referral. You can contact them via the following methods:

Website: www.consumer-dispute.co.uk

By email: consumer-dispute@adrgroup.co.uk

In writing:

ADR Group, Churchgate Lakes, Rectory Lane, Battlesbridge, Rettendon Place, Essex, SS11 7QR

Any referrals to the ADR Group must be made within three (3) months of the notification of the outcome of Stage 2 or the final response from CCW if you contact them first.

The ADRg scheme can be used to settle disputes relating to:

  • Current customers of Castle Water
  • Provision of retail water and wastewater services pursuant to the applicable Scheme of Terms & Conditions (other than matters excluded below)
  • Customer services
  • Bills, payments, collections, and debt recovery
  • Meter reading
  • Mis-selling

Castle Water may agree to refer other issues which are outside those included in the Scheme at its discretion. In such circumstances (including in relation to any complaints by former customers of Castle Water), additional charges to use the Scheme may apply and would have to be agreed between the customer and Castle Water prior to the acceptance of such an application by the Scheme.

The ADRg Scheme cannot be used to adjudicate disputes which fall into one or more of the following categories:

  • Claims for compensation relating to negligence or damage caused by an undertaker
  • Claims relating to breach of a statutory duty by an undertaker
  • Disputes that are subject to existing court action, or Castle Water has commenced court proceedings, or on which a court has ruled unless the court’s decision has been set aside
  • Disputes relating to complex matters of law
  • Disputes relating to decisions by Ofwat, or challenges to existing legislation or regulation
  • Disputes concerning the Competition Acts 1998 and 2002 as amended
  • Regulatory enforcement cases
  • Bulk supply determinations and resale and third-party complaints
  • Any matters over which Ofwat has powers to determine an outcome, including disputes relating to eligibility to transfer to a statutory licensee
  • Water quality legal standards
  • Enforcement cases under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Environmental Act 1995 as amended
  • Disputes that are the subject of an existing or previous valid application under the scheme
  • The handling of CCWater and Ofwat complaints
  • Disputes relating to the fairness of contract terms and/or commercial practices
  • Disputes concerning allegations of fraudulent or criminal activity
  • Any dispute or disputes that are considered by the ADR provider to be frivolous and/or vexatious

The Consumer Council for Water

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the independent representative of water customers in England & Wales. You can contact them via the following methods:

By telephone: 0300 034 2222

Website: www.ccwater.org.uk

Please note CCW may not be able to help with all complaints.Click here for more information.

How do I make a complaint to Castle Water?

The quickest way is by phone or web chat — complaints raised this way are dealt with immediately wherever possible. You can also log in to the customer portal to complete a complaints form online, or write to us at: Complaints, Castle Water Limited, 1 Boat Brae, Rattray, Blairgowrie, PH10 7BH.

In line with the Code of Practice, we aim to give a full response within 10 business days of receiving your complaint at Stage 1. If a complaint goes to Stage 2 (an appeal), our Executive Complaints Team aims to resolve it within 10 business days. If resolution takes longer at either stage, we’ll explain why and keep you updated regularly.

We investigate your complaint and may call you to discuss it. We’ll address every point you raised, give a clear explanation, and set out any remedial action.

You can appeal at Stage 2. Where possible, set out your appeal in writing via your complaint case so we fully understand the details. Castle Water’s Executive Complaints Team will carry out an independent internal review and aim to resolve it within 10 business days. Note that if you don’t reply within 30 days, your appeal may be treated as a new complaint.

Once you’ve completed Stages 1 and 2, you can escalate to The ADR Group.  You can contact them via the following methods: Website: www.consumer-dispute.co.uk By email: consumer-dispute@adrgroup.co.uk or in writing: ADR Group, Churchgate Lakes, Rectory Lane, Battlesbridge, Rettendon Place, Essex, SS11 7QR or The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) – the independent representative of water customers in England & Wales. You can contact them by telephone on 0300 034 2222, or their website www.ccwater.org.uk

If we’ve already started the process to recover costs through legal channels, any concerns should go directly to our Recoveries Team at recoveries@castlewater.co.uk. These concerns are not handled as a complaint under this procedure.

You can contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) after you have completed both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of Castle Water’s formal complaints procedure. Completing our process first gives us the opportunity to fully review your concerns and helps avoid unnecessary delay if you decide to seek independent support.
 
If you contact CCW before Stage 1 and Stage 2 have been completed, CCW will ask you to return to Castle Water so we can finish looking into your complaint. We recommend allowing our complaints process to run its course first, as this is usually the quickest way to reach a resolution and ensures any later independent review has the information it needs.

If you contact CCW before our formal complaints procedure has finished, they will ask you to come back to Castle Water so we can complete our review. To help avoid delay, we recommend completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 with us before asking CCW to look at your complaint.

No. There is currently no ombudsman for non-household business water customers in England.

The ADR Group runs an independent redress scheme for eligible non-household water customers. Where a complaint meets the scheme rules, The ADR Group can provide an independent decision that is binding. The scheme can consider complaints about areas such as retail water and wastewater services, customer service, bills, payments, collections and debt recovery, meter reading, and mis-selling.

If you want to refer your complaint to The ADR Group, the referral must usually be made within three months of being notified of your Stage 2 outcome, or within three months of CCW’s final response if you contacted CCW first.
 
Contact: www.consumer-dispute.co.uk, email consumer-dispute@adrgroup.co.uk, or write to ADR Group, Churchgate Lakes, Rectory Lane, Battlesbridge, Rettendon Place, Essex, SS11 7QR.
Both options are generally available after you have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2 of Castle Water’s complaints procedure. CCW is the independent customer representative and may be able to help resolve your complaint. The ADR Group’s scheme can provide a binding independent decision where the complaint is eligible.
 
If you are considering The ADR Group, please keep the deadline in mind: referrals must be made within three months of your Stage 2 outcome, or within three months of CCW’s final response if you go to CCW first.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the independent representative of water customers across England and Wales. After you have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2 with us, CCW can look at your complaint and may be able to help resolve it. Please note that CCW may not be able to assist with every type of complaint.