Free online budgeting tool IE Hub has announced a new partnership with Bristol Water and Wessex Water.
IE Hub, which helps users manage their debts and budget better, will give customers who are struggling to pay their bills or have multiple debts further access to financial advice. This is on top of a number of payment schemes Bristol Water already provide to their customers, including payment breaks and flexible payment plans.
IE Hub’s budgeting tool will also help customers gain further access to water social tariffs, which are discounted rates for low-income customers.
Both Bristol Water and Wessex Water customers looking for financial help will be directed to IE Hub to fill out their budget information. If they need further advice they will be signposted to National Debtline (NDL), a trusted provider of free, independent and expert help.
IE Hub will then share the customer’s completed and verified budget with Bristol Water and Wessex Water so they can advise on which social tariffs are suitable, as an alternative to standard charges.
Bristol Water and Wessex Water are the first water suppliers to use this process, which gives transparent and trackable outcomes for both customers, and water companies. It is thanks to a recent partnership with National Debtline that this process is possible, making access to financial support much easier for customers.
Beth Kennedy, Head of Partnerships at IE Hub, said:
“It is great to see that our partnership with National Debtline will be helping Bristol Water and Wessex Water customers access discounted social tariffs.
“By closing the loop between customers seeking help, accessing IE Hub and getting debt advice, we believe this will deliver the customers what they need, at a time when they need it most. It is also a unique and tangible way to deliver the social tariffs to those who really need them.”
Neil Maddocks, Head of Customer Strategy at Bristol Water, said:
“This new partnership with IE Hub is great news for our customers, as it gives us another way to support them when they need it most. Through this new collaboration with IE Hub, and our partnership with National Debtline, our customers will be able to access more support to manage their bills, get professional advice and see what other help is available to them, all in one place.”
Kate Robbins, Head of Customer Policy at Wessex Water, said:
“For some time we’ve been championing the need for a truly end-to-end income and expenditure solution that also offers debt advice where needed. It’s fantastic that, through our collaboration with IE Hub and our longstanding partner National Debtline, we now have a seamless process.
“Customers can complete their online journey, receive debt advice if required and, once consent is given, automatically share their verified affordability data with us. This means we can place customers on the right affordability scheme based on their individual needs.”
Working alongside all of the UK’s Gas Distribution Networks, including Wales & West Utilities and Cadent, banks and financial services such as Metro and Amplifi Capital and charities like Stop Loan Sharks and Scope, IE Hub is aiming to make budgeting and debt management simpler.
