Specialist data collection company Occutrace has announced that they have been awarded an accreditation under the Water Industry Registration Scheme – Accredited Entity (WIRSAE).
This means the company can now undertake temporary disconnections and reconnections for water meters up to 40mm in the non-household water sector direct for water retailers.
David McKenzie, Co-Founder and Managing Director, said:
“We are building upon our existing services through desk and field-based activities to optimise revenue for water clients. This accreditation as a WIRSAE entity grants Occutrace the power to provide debt recovery services and disconnections of non-household properties on behalf of water retailers. As retailers feel the pressure to keep prices competitive whilst managing the challenges of balancing between recovering lost revenue, maintaining positive customer relationships and reputational image. Temporary disconnection is then utilised as a final option, cutting off a customer’s water supply until our client recovers their lost revenue.”
As reported in the 2021 Economic Insight non-household water retail market study, unresolved customer debt is a critical issue in the water retail market as water retailers’ revenue is not enough to cover the unavoidable risk posed by debt. Ofwat confirmed this stating that levels of bad debt costs across the business retail market are exceeding 2% of non-household revenue.
Continuing with WIRSAE, Occutrace is now developing their accreditation to bring more services to clients, including meter exchanges up to 40mm.
