Developer Measure of Experience (D-MeX)

We always want to improve the service we provide to our developer services customers. These include self-lay providers (SLPs) and those with new appointments and variations (NAVs) to connect into our water mains network.

The D-MeX score is a satisfaction rating from organisations and customers who contact us. The score reflects customer satisfaction survey results and our service levels performance.

D-MeX measures us against other water companies, and we receive a financial penalty if we underperform.

While we were not given a target by Ofwat, our internal target for the 2025/26 period was to be within three points of the industry average.

How have we performed?

For the 2025/2026 period, we achieved an overall D-MeX score of 72.58, placing us 15th in the industry. This reflects a broader industry downturn, with the sector average dropping by an estimated nine points.

The industry average score for the period was 81.53, therefore we were 8.95 points away from that figure.

Crucially, while our qualitative perception scores have faced external pressures, our quantitative performance has remained highly consistent and robust. We achieved a score of 99.19 per cent for the quantitative element for the year. This specific metric is fiercely competitive across the sector, with top-scoring companies routinely achieving a flawless 100 per cent, demonstrating that our internal processing and service level agreements adherence remain strong.

Moving forward, we expect "value for money" scores to recover as developers adapt to the new charge baseline. To close the industry gap, we are investing in new software to boost efficiency and deliver the modern, seamless communication channels our developers expect.

Our Developer Services team is dedicated to providing superior service to our clients. By actively listening to their feedback, we continuously refine our service delivery strategies. The following initiatives have been implemented over the past 12 months:

• Consistent contacts: Transitioned to a regional structure (Kent, Sussex, and West territories) with dedicated service estimators to provide a single, consistent point of contact for developers and streamlined complaint escalations.
• Delivery improvement plan: Partnered with contractor Clancy to introduce new communication KPIs and expand resources, significantly reducing project delays and improving updates during the delivery phase.
• Online estimator tool: Reintroduced the self-service online calculator based on direct customer feedback.
• Customer feedback: Implemented a system where developers can provide feedback to help us drive proactive service improvements.