Bristol Water plc price determination

Ofwat referred an appeal from Bristol Water plc to the CMA for a water price determination.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 4 March 2015
• Last updated: 21 October 2015 — See all updates

• Case type: Regulatory references and appeals
• Case state: Closed
• Market sector: Utilities
• Outcome: Regulatory references and appeals - final determination
• Opened: 4 March 2015
• Closed: 6 October 2015

Administrative timetable

• Published on 12 August 2015, as required by Rule 7 of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Rules of Procedure for Merger, Market and Special Reference Groups. This revised timetable replaces the one published on 31 July 2015. Any revisions made to the timetable will be published on this website.

Date	Action
3 November 2015	Deadline for determination to be sent by CMA to Ofwat
7 August 2015	Final deadline for representations
Early August 2015	Further main party hearings
10 July 2015	Publish provisional findings
15 June 2015	Deadline for representations before provisional findings
June 2015	Main party hearings
13 April 2015	Deadline for Bristol Water’s response to Ofwat’s reply
25 March 2015	Deadline for Ofwat’s reply to Bristol Water’s submission
11 March 2015	Deadline for submission from Bristol Water
4 March 2015	Reference made

Final determination

6 October 2015: Bristol Water will have to reduce the prices it charges customers to below those in its business plan.

• Summary of report (6.10.15)
• Final report (PDF, 3.92 Mb) (21.10.15)
• Appendices 1.1 to 4.3 (PDF, 3.32 Mb) (21.10.15)
• Appendices 5.1 to 11.1 and glossary (PDF, 3.47 Mb) (21.10.15)
• Press release: CMA confirms Bristol Water prices set to fall (6.10.15)

Extension of price determination period

• Ofwat notice of extension (11.8.15)

Responses to provisional findings

• Bristol Water (PDF, 4.4Mb) (31.7.15)
  • Bristol Water - Appendices (31.7.15)
• Consumer Council for Water (31.7.15)
• Local Engagement Forum (31.7.15)
• Ofwat (PDF, 1.4Mb) (31.7.15)
• Peter Weeks (31.7.15)
• South West Water Limited (31.7.15)
• Thames Water Utilities Limited (PDF, 2.4Mb) (31.7.15)

Provisional findings

10 July 2015: The CMA has provisionally found Bristol Water should reduce the prices it charges customers until 2020 to below those in the company’s business plan. The consultation has now closed.

• Provisional findings report (PDF, 4.19Mb) (10.7.15)
• Appendices and Glossary (PDF, 4.65Mb) (10.7.15)
• Summary of provisional findings (10.7.15)
• Press release: Bristol Water prices set to fall after CMA ruling (10.7.15)

Third party hearing summaries

• Consumer Council for Water (2.6.15)
• Local Engagment Forum (2.6.15)

Third party initial submissions

• Anglian Water Services Limited (15.4.15)
• Consumer Council for Water (15.4.15)
• Drinking Water Inspectorate (15.4.15)
• Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (21.5.15)
• Local Engagement Forum (21.4.15)
  • Local Engagement Forum - Appendix 1 (PDF, 7Mb) (21.4.15)
  • Local Engagement Forum - Appendix 2 (PDF, 4Mb) (21.4.15)
  • Local Engagement Forum - Appendix 3 (PDF, 5Mb) (21.4.15)
  • Local Engagement Forum - Appendix 4 (PDF, 2Mb) (21.4.15)
  • Local Engagement Forum - Appendix 5 (PDF, 1Mb) (21.4.15)
• Peter Weeks (2.6.15)
  • Bristol Water’s response to Peter Weeks submission (2.6.15)
• South West Water Limited (PDF, 3Mb) (23.6.15)
• Wessex Water Services Ltd (15.4.15)

Main party submissions

• Bristol Water response to Ofwat’s reply to its statement of case (PDF, 4Mb) (16.4.15)
• Ofwat reply to Bristol Water’s statement of case (8.4.15)
• Bristol Water statement of case sections 1 to 9 (PDF, 8Mb) and sections 10 to 17 and appendices (PDF, 6Mb) (25.3.15)
• Ofwat submission (5.3.15)

Inquiry group appointed

11 March 2015: The CMA has appointed the inquiry group.

Inquiry Group: Anne Lambert (Chair of the group), Robin Aaronson, Katherine Holmes, Stephen Oram

• Disclosures of interest

Notice of reference

• Notice of reference (4.3.15)

Reference decision

4 March 2015: Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) has referred an appeal from Bristol Water to the CMA for determination. This follows Bristol Water’s decision to reject Ofwat’s final determination on water price limits for the period 2015 to 2020.

• News story: Ofwat refers Bristol Water appeal (4.3.15)

Published 4 March 2015
Last updated 21 October 2015 + show all updates

1. 21 October 2015

   Full final determination report published.

2. 4 March 2015

   First published.