Research library

This research was carried out to understand customers' water consumption habits during the hot weather in May/ June 2020 and about attitudes to water conservation.

This research was carried out to understand views on proactive "shadow" metering (when meters are installed proactively but customers are not moved to metered billing, unless they wish to do so).

Tap Chat

To understand customers’ views on water supply resilience, the acceptability of supply interruptions and their willingness to reduce their water consumption.

Tap Chat - Poll and discussion

Online poll to understand customer views on compulsory water labelling on appliances and when this should be introduced.

Customers are at the heart of our WRMP - we have carried out multiple pieces of research to understand their views, ranging from how we ensure the environment is protected to installing more meters in customer's homes.

This research aimed to measure customers' perceptions about water quality and views on switching water sources. 

Tap Chat Survey

Test a series of text messages that designed to encourage lower household water consumption and explore customer behaviours and attitudes towards water.

Green Recovery delivery research

This research was carried out to inform the delivery of the Green Recovery investment in Bomere Health, aimed to understand how customers in the area are likely to respond to lead supply pipe replacement.

To understand customer attitudes to drought and hosepipe bans.

To understand NHH customers views on water efficiency audits and the WRMP.

Tap Chat

To understand customer views on supply and demand solutions for future water resource management, specifically on water recycling.

A three-phased approach supporting development of the draft Water Resources Management Plan 24.

This research was carried out to understand customer communication preferences for our Smart Metering programme.

This research was carried out to understand behaviours and motivations around disposal of single-use sanitary protection items and to explore the barriers to switching to reusable alternatives.

This research was carried out during the development of the DWMP (Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan) to probe customer understanding of the different responsibilities for flooding, customer priorities on what drainage planning could be achieved and their views on what Seven Trent's role in this.

This research aimed to understand the preferences of recreational users of rivers in the Severn Trent region.

Tap Chat

Sustainable versus traditional drainage solutions

This research, to inform the DWMP (Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan), aimed to understand customer preferences for traditional versus sustainable solutions to manage the drainage of surface water in built up environments. 

This research aimed to understand what customers thought about river water quality and how they want to see Severn Trent invest to improve it.

This research aimed to understand how attitudes and behaviours have changed over the previous years regarding disposal of items which lead to blockages and sewer flooding. 

To understand customer views on the long-term targets for the DWMP and planning objectives.

A social listening study for PR24.

Leakage and reputation research

This research was carried to understand customers' understanding of leakage and how it impacts on their perceptions of Severn Trent.

People’s views on the water sector

People’s views on the water sector: To gauge the reputation, level of public trust and views on river water quality.

Understanding customer needs around financial assistance - Tap Chat

This research aimed to understand customer perceptions of the cost of their water bill in comparison to other expenses and their thoughts on the Big Difference Scheme (BDS). 

Tap Chat discussion

To inform customers on how the company spends the money it gets from their bills and discuss their thoughts.

Tap Chat

Affordability pledge and online support checker tool survey

To test and develop a new concept, an ‘Affordability Pledge’. This is a promise that everyone who is struggling to pay their water bill (regardless of their household income or benefits status) can get some sort of help and support from the company.

To assess the acceptability of different cross-subsidy price-points.

To fully understand all the issues around affordability, water debt, and our affordability schemes - and explore ways in which we could better meet customers’ needs in this area.

Tap Chat discussion and survey

To understand how far in advance (in terms of months or years) customers tend to plan their household finances (i.e. consider the affordability of bills and outgoings).

To understand what factors customers take into account when assessing the affordability of household bills, and the affordability of water bills in particular.

To understand how easy or difficult it is to answer the "ease of affordability" question and what customers consider when they respond.

This tracking research, undertaken twice a year, aims to understand customers' attitudes to the wider societal issues, the environment, investment for the future and the role that Severn Trent should play in tackling climate change.

This tracking research, undertaken twice a year, aims to understand customers' attitudes to the wider societal issues, the environment, investment for the future and the role that Severn Trent should play in tackling climate change.

This research was carried out to understand what priorities our customers have. What’s important to them, both now and in the future.

Deliberative research

To understand levels of customer support for Severn Trent reducing its process emissions so that it can meet the government’s net zero targets

Understand awareness and perceptions of the problem of lead supply pipes.

Phase 1

To explore customers’ views on a number of Bespoke Performance Commitments that could be included in the next Business Plan framework​

To support customer evidence to support development of business cases.

Phase 2

To provide compelling customer evidence to justify bespoke PCs for submission to Ofwat in April 2023​

Valuation research

To establish valuations for a number of Severn Trent’s proposed bespoke PCs.

Phase 3

Understand customer views on some potential changes to our proposed bespoke PCs .

Test the 2050 vision / ambition with customers, where we want to be as a company in the long term, and how the 2025-2030 plan is the first step in achieving this.

Tap Chat survey

Understand whether customers support or oppose a proposed bespoke PC to reduce the number of days it takes to complete roadworks where there is traffic management by 15%. 

Understand whether customers support or oppose this as a financial ODI.

Understand customer views on the fair balance of charges, including the use of financial modelling levers that impact the bills for the next 5 years and 25 years.

Qualitative phase

To test how customers percieve the affordability and acceptability of our PR24 plans - qualitative research

Quantitative phase

To test how customers percieve the affordability and acceptability of our PR24 plans - quantitative research.

Thinks Deliberative research

Tap Chat

This research aimed to understand how Severn Trent could make it easier for customers to manage their accounts. Tap Chat members shared thoughts on the customer service they have recieved. 

Qualitative research

Explore the sorts of tailored comms and aspects of improved customer service that household customers would like us to provide, and the extent to which they think it should be a priority.