THE water company serving Devon says it is extending its promise to keep people out of water poverty.

By accelerating smart metering, ensuring fair charging for all customers and committing to a £200 million support package, South West Water says it is extending its promise to keep people out of water poverty across the region to 2030.

The company has said it remains committed to keeping bills as low as possible and supporting all of its customers, investin £3.2billion over the next five years.

The priority is to make sure customers who may be having problems paying their bills have access to the support they need, South West Water says.

By 2030, the company says it will fit 440,000 more smart meters for customers who would like to keep track of their usage and spending.

Ketan Hindocha, Customer Director at South West Water, said: ‘The wellbeing of every one of our customers is incredibly important to us - this may be in the form of financial wellbeing and the support we give to those who may be finding it hard, but we want to go even further.

‘We have worked hard to eradicate water poverty for all of our customers by 2025 and extending this pledge for the next five years is the right thing to do.’

This comes as the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says more than a million UK households are struggling to pay their water bills