CCW statement: People will feel upset and anxious at water bill rises

The Consumer Council for Water has responded to Ofwat’s draft determinations for water companies across England and Wales.

The regulator is proposing to allow companies to increase customer bills on average by £19 a year over the next five years. In return companies would be expected to deliver a spending package of £88 billion.

Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:

Millions of people will feel upset and anxious at the prospect of these water bill rises and question the fairness of them given some water companies’ track record of failure and poor service. Customers understand investment is urgently needed but they need reassurance that every pound of their money is going to be well spent. Trust in water companies has never been lower and that won’t change until people see and experience a difference – whether that’s having the confidence to swim at their favourite beach or receiving help if they are struggling to pay their bill.

We estimate about 2 million households in England and Wales currently cannot afford their water bill and while the increase in financial assistance is welcome it falls short of what is needed. Over the summer we’ll be carrying out research with customers of every water company to gauge whether they feel the regulator’s proposals are affordable and deliver what people want. We expect Ofwat to listen and act on what customers tell us.