SEVERN Trent Water has unveiled plans for “better value, better services and a healthier environment” for customers in its 2015-20 business plan.

The company said its customers already had the lowest average combined water and sewerage bills in England and Wales and it has announced it plans to keep price rises to below inflation between 2015 and 2020, with a proposed “price freeze” in 2015.

Severn Trent’s new business plan, submitted to water regulator Ofwat, includes more than £3.2 billion of new investment in the region’s water and sewerage infrastructure, an increase of over £600 million on the previous five years.

The investment is intended to deliver further service and environmental improvements, including reducing leakage by a further six per cent and fixing all leaks within 24 hours, when it is safe to do so.

Other improvements targeted are reducing the amount of time customers’ supply is interrupted, reducing the number of homes flooded by sewers and £329 million to improve the quality of the region’s rivers.

Severn Trent chief executive, Tony Wray, said: “Our challenge has been to put together a plan which delivers the services customers want and what the environment needs, while keeping bills affordable.

“We have a track record of real price reductions over the last five years and for sharing the benefits of efficiency improvements with customers.

“We plan to maintain this record over the next five years and deliver better value, better services and a healthier environment. This is a plan driven by and for our customers.”

The company’s plans have been developed after consultation involving more than 15,000 customers and 160 stakeholder representative bodies.

Ofwat will now consider Severn Trent’s plans before making its final decision on prices and investment levels next year.