Support for businesses

The prolonged sub-zero temperatures running up to the weekend of 18/19 December resulted in the ground across large areas of our operating area freezing hard. The subsequent rapid thaw, which happened far quicker than anticipated, resulted in significant ground movement bursting many of our pipes.

In addition to the payment we are making to non-household customers off supply for more than 12 hours, Welsh Water has agreed to make goodwill contributions of up to £2500, for each business customer, towards certain costs/loss of gross profit, beyond Welsh Water’s regulatory obligations.

The eligibility, criteria and process for applying for a goodwill contribution towards costs/loss of gross profit is detailed in this guidance and should be read in full before starting your application using the Goodwill Application webform.

Affected businesses have a duty to take all reasonable steps to minimise its costs/loss of gross profit as a result of the loss of water supply. If your costs/loss of gross profit are exacerbated due to a failure to take responsible steps to minimise your loss, no goodwill is payable for the level of exacerbated costs/loss of gross profit. If, after reading these guidance notes in full, you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria for a goodwill payment, please complete the application providing the information detailed in this guidance and the Goodwill Application webforms.

Please note that the maximum goodwill contribution that Welsh Water will make is £2500 for each business customer.

Eligibility criteria
The following criteria must be met for your business to be eligible to apply for a goodwill contribution payment.

• You are a business customer who have directly received a letter confirming we will be making a payment to you, as a non-household customer, for being off supply for more than 12 hours. (If you have not received a letter but believe your business is eligible to apply, please contact goodwillpayments@dwrcymru.com )
• You must be a business permanently based at the location of the claim e.g. not a mobile/visiting businesses including taxi services
• Your business must be registered with the HMRC.
• Please submit your application and supporting documentation by 1 May 2023 in order for us to consider your request.

Eligibility for a goodwill contribution and any contribution made is at the discretion of Welsh Water.

Goodwill Application Process
It is expected that customers will have business interruption insurance in place. Where this is the case, claims for any costs/loss of gross profit incurred should be made using your insurance. Where customers have insurance and have used their own insurance, Welsh Water is willing to consider a contribution towards any policy excess of up to £2500 with adequate evidence. There is a specific webform to apply for this goodwill contribution, further details below.

All costs/loss of gross profit must be supported by the evidence requested in this guidance and the Goodwill Application webform. Please have the relevant evidence ready before starting the webform.

Following receipt of your application we may invite you to produce additional evidence to substantiate your application or request additional information to support our assessment.

Not Eligible
Please note that the costs/loss of gross profit being considered exclude professional fees, including any associated with completing the application, and any increases in insurance premia. No payments will be made is respect of these two categories.

The below outlines the different Goodwill Application webforms you may complete. You are only permitted to complete one webform per Business Customer.

Losses up to £250:
Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments of up to £250 towards costs/loss of gross profit incurred by the loss of water supply to be considered. You will be required to provide evidence to support your costs/loss of gross profit.

Loss of Gross Profit Only over £250
Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments between £250 and £2500 towards Loss of Gross Profit incurred by the loss of water supply to be considered. You will be required to provide the following information:

• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 27 November 2021 – 29 December 2021 (inclusive),
• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 26 November 2022 – 28 December 2022 (inclusive),
• A copy of the last set of year end accounts including a detailed profit and loss.

If your business has been trading for less than 12 months, as a minimum, please provide daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 26 November 2022 – 28 December 2022 (inclusive).

Additional Costs to Continue Operating Only over £250
Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments between £250 and £2500 towards additional costs of operating because of the loss of water supply to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of relevant invoices/receipts.

Loss of Gross Profit and Additional Costs to Continue Operating over £250
Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments between £250 and £2500 towards Loss of Gross Profit and additional costs of operating incurred because of the loss of water supply to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of the following:

• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 27 November 2021 – 29 December 2021 (inclusive),
• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 26 November 2022 – 28 December 2022 (inclusive),
• A copy of the last set of year end accounts including a detailed profit and loss.
• All invoices/receipts

If your business has been trading for less than 12 months, as a minimum, please provide daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period 26 November 2022 – 28 December 2022 (inclusive).
Note: Applications are not permissible for the same dates for both ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ and ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ (you can either apply for ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ or ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ for any given day). It is envisaged that applications for ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ and ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ will only take place where a customer stayed open and incurred extra costs.

Contribution to your insurance excess over £250
Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments of between £250 and £2500 towards the insurance excess incurred following settlement of an insurance claim your business has made relating to the loss of water supply to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of the excess and that a claim relating to this loss of water supply event has been successfully paid.

Declaration
A declaration must be completed and signed by an authorised signatory of your business , e.g., the business owner where a sole trader; a partner of a registered or unregistered partnership; or an officer of a limited company.

What happens next
Upon receipt of your application and supporting documentation, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement by email.

For applications relating to:

• Losses up to £250
• Additional Costs to Continue Operating over £250 and
• Contribution to your insurance excess over £250

We will endeavour to assess and make a decision on your application within 20 working days from receipt.

If your application relates to Loss of Gross Profit (over £250), our third-party partners will endeavour to assess your claim within 20 working days from receipt of your claim.

These timescales may be longer depending on the value and complexity of your application as well as the speed of response from you in replying to requests. If this is the case, we will let you know.

Welsh Water may appoint third parties to assist or complete the assessment of any applications. Appointment of third parties will be made without prior notification. These costs will be met by Welsh Water.

Please select one of the below options which will open the relevant webform:

Option 1: Losses up to £250: (Links to relevant narrative page)
Option 2 : Loss of Gross Profit Only over £250 (Links to relevant narrative Page)
Option 3: Additional Costs to Continue Operating Only over £250 (Link to relevant narrative page)
Option 4: Loss of Gross Profit and Additional Costs to Continue Operating over £250 (Links to relevant narrative Page)
Option 5: Contribution to your insurance excess over £250 (Links to relevant narrative page)