We have a wide range of stakeholders who take an interest in the way we do business. The following table provides a broad set of performance measures covering Environmental, Social and Governance issues that are of interest to our stakeholders. Further information on how we manage our business in a responsible manner can be found in the responsibility pages of our corporate website.

Communities

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
Employee volunteeringNumber of hours employee volunteering
2,373
2,620

Responsibility pages on our website

CharityMatch funding to charity through employee efforts—£101,004
£157,046

Responsibility pages on our website

Community Investment (LBG data)Total community investment
£2,261,374
£2,931,479

Responsibility pages on our website

How investment was made
Cash£1,959,502Time£47,454In-kind£2,632Management costs£251,786
Cash£2,717,856Time£52,409In-kind£0Management costs£161,214
Type of support
Charitable gift£38,823Community investment£1,818,035Commercial initiative£152,730
Charitable gift£2,717,856Community investment£2,610,719In-kind£0

Customers

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
ComplaintsTotal number of domestic customer complaints
5,942
7,007		Our performance (best service to customers) in Our performance in 2019/20
Average speed of complaint resolution
3 days
3 days		Our performance (best service to customers) in Our performance in 2019/20
FinesDrinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) fines
0
2 (£150,000 and £50,000)		Our performance (best service to customers) in Our performance in 2019/20
DigitalNumber of customers using online services – My Account
984,780
860,648		Our performance (best service to customers) in Our performance in 2019/20
Customer assistanceNumber of customers assisted by Priority Services
99,992(1)
74,505		Our performance (best service to customers) in Our performance in 2019/20
Customer water efficiencyTotal customer water savings from measures promoted by United Utilities
4.25 Ml/d
4.43 MI/d		Our business model (key resources) in Our business model

Employees

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
Employee engagementOverall employee engagement
84%
81%		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Percentage of employees with trade union membership(2)—45%
45%		Our business model (key resources) in Our business model
Gender pay reportingMean gender pay gap
11.3%
13.2%(3)		Corporate governance report in Corporate governance report
Median gender pay gap
13.8%
15.3%		Corporate governance report in Corporate governance report
Employee developmentAverage number of days of training per FTE per year
4.44 days
3.57 days		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Health and safetyEmployee Accident Frequency Rate (per 100,000 hours)
0.110
0.152		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Contractor Accident Frequency Rate (per 100,000 hours)
0.083
0.092		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Workforce profile
202084% White2% BAME14% non-disclosed66% Male34% Female1.91% Disability (including long-term health conditions)
201983% White2% BAME15% non-disclosed65% Male35% Female<1% Disability (including long-term health conditions)

(1)This figure increased to over 100,000 shortly after the year end.

(2)Based on employees who pay their union subscriptions via their payroll.

(3)The mean gender pay gap figure for 2019 has been amended from 13.1 per cent to 13.2 per cent since the production of last year's Annual Report.

Environment

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
Carbon and EnergyCarbon footprint
159,243 tCO2e
167,856 tCO2e		Our approach to climate change in Our approach to climate change
Energy used
984 GWh
976 GWh		Our approach to climate change in Our approach to climate change
WasteTotal waste
752,480 tonnes
694,846 tonnes		Responsibility pages on our website
Waste to beneficial use
98%
96%		Responsibility pages on our website
LeakageTotal leakage at or below target of 462.65 Ml/d
Met Target
Met target		Annual Performance Report published in July
FinesNumber of incidents resulting in fines
0
0		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Enforcement undertakings
1 (£511,000)
5 (£1.5 million)		Our performance (in a responsible manner) in Our performance in 2019/20
Natural capitalNumber of trees planted on catchment land
29,696
27,190		Responsibility pages on our website
No net loss of biodiversity across capital programme
100%
100%		Responsibility pages on our website

Investors

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
ComplianceUK Corporate Governance Code
Compliant
Compliant		Director's report in the Directors' report
Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
World Index
World Index		Summary of investor indices in How we measure our performance

Suppliers

AreaMeasureStatusPerformanceFurther information
Payment statisticsAverage time taken to pay invoices
14 days
25 days		Supplier pages on our website
Suppliers paid on time
97%
98.57%		Supplier pages on our website

Status key:

Deterioration on previous year

Same as previous year

Improvement on previous year, no scope for improvement or the target has been achieved

— Not applicable

Performance key:

2019/20

2018/19

We have used a red, amber green colour coding to indicate whether performance in 2019/20, when compared to 2018/19, has improved, stayed broadly the same or deteriorated. Measures where there is no scope for improvement, or the target has been achieved, are also recorded green.

Responsible business

One of our strategic themes deals with operating and behaving in a responsible manner. This is a core part of who we are as a business and has been for many years.

Responsible business is in our DNA

We have a strong track record leading on environmental, social and governance matters. Over the past 20 years we have measured ourselves against national and international benchmarks of responsible business practice, often breaking new ground in the way the water sector approaches challenges such as catchment management schemes and support for vulnerable customers.

This is not just about what we do, but how we do it. A key strength is the continuity of our approach with a clear purpose and strategic objectives. This long-standing commitment to responsible business has provided a solid foundation upon which to evolve existing programmes, develop new initiatives, and respond to the changing world in which we operate.

Creating long-term value for all

Having tangible, externally recognised measures of our behaviour and performance helps retain the trust of those who take an interest in the way we do business. We collate and monitor a wide range of performance measures to assess our progress and report these publicly. We align ourselves to recognised management standards and accreditations to give confidence in the way we are operating.

For more information on how we manage our business in a responsible manner, please visit unitedutilities.com/corporate/responsibility

Index/ratingDescriptionPerformance
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index ranks the sustainability approach of the top 10 per cent of the world's biggest companies based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.For 2019, our overall performance was 79 per cent and we attained World Class status for the 13th consecutive year. We were awarded SAM Silver Class in the Sustainability Yearbook 2020.
The FTSE4Good Index measures the performance of companies who demonstrate strong ESG practices against globally recognised responsible business standards.We have been named in the FTSE4Good Index every year for the last 17 years. Latest review June 2019.
ISS recently expanded its methodology used by investors to identify governance risks within their portfolios to include environmental and social risks.In the annual review of November 2019 our status was assessed as Prime.
Provides ESG ratings on an AAA to CCC scale according to exposure to industry specific ESG risks and ability to manage those risks relative to peers.As of 2019, United Utilities Group plc received an MSCI ESG rating of AA.
Sustainalytics provides ESG risk ratings which summarise company performance in relation to industry peers and gives an overview of ESG controversies.In 2020 Sustainalytics has given us a low risk rating with a score of 19.1. This positions us as 2 out of 40 in the water utility sector.

Euronext Vigeo Eiris indices are composed of the highest-ranking listed companies according to an evaluation of their ESG performance.
Composition of the Ethibel Sustainability Indices is based on a best-in-class approach to companies included in their sustainable Investment Register combined with ethical exclusion criteria.		We are part of the UK 20 (the 20 most advanced companies in the UK) as of December 2019.
United Utilities Group plc has been reconfirmed as a constituent of the Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Europe since 8 May 2020.