Found: region who we support with a whole host of support mechanisms to help them afford not just their water bill

Found: region who we support with a whole host of support mechanisms to help them afford not just their water bill

Found: it either a ‘constant struggle’ or a struggle from ‘time to time’ to keep up with paying their water bill

Found: the domestic rates in NI are used to fund domestic water provision, the NIFC added the average water bill

Found: England and Wales, in exactly the same financial circumstances, and one may get 90% off their water bill

Found: England and Wales, in exactly the same financial circumstances, and one may get 90% off their water bill

Found: More than that, Southern Water has said that we have to pay our water bill for the five days when

Found: More than that, Southern Water has said that we have to pay our water bill for the five days when we

Found: exercised these powers ,and limited the locus standi ofalocal board of health toportions ofagas and water bill

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that water bill increases provide value for money to consumers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030.This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector.

These bill rises equate to around £3 additional per month on average before inflation. This will pay to fix crumbling infrastructure, which will dramatically reduce sewage spills and lead to cleaner rivers, lakes and seas.

For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Whilst bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways, we fully understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing. We are pushing the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills.

The Government expects water companies to put robust support measures in place for customers to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that customers are sufficiently supported.

Furthermore, the Government expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of water bill increases in the Thames Valley region on (a) consumers and (b) low income households.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Conservatives, our sewage system crumbled. They irresponsibly let water companies divert customers’ money to line the pockets of their bosses and shareholders. The public are right to be angry after they have been left to pay the price of Conservative failure.

For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Whilst bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways, we fully understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing and are pushing the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. The Government expects water companies to put robust support measures in place for customers to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country, including the Thames Valley, are supported.

Water companies have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through social tariffs, from 4% to 9% by 2030, and the Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that customers are sufficiently supported.

Furthermore, the Government expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the headline water bill for the 2024 price review period includes the cost of (a) direct procurement for customer and (b) specified infrastructure projects regulations schemes.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The development costs of funding Direct Procurement for Customer (DPC) schemes and Specified Infrastructure Project Regulations (SIPR) projects have been included in company business plans, as set out in Ofwat’s Major Projects Appendix. Funding is set out at individual project level and is identified as a DPC or SIPR (please see page 9). Almost all the schemes are funded via DPC and these account for £2.1 billion of development funding in PR24, and circa £50 billion whole life costs.

DPC is funded separately to enhancement expenditure. The capital costs of DPC will be spread over time and funded in addition to customer bill impacts forecast through the business plan submissions. DPC costs in the main will not occur in the next investment period (2025-2030), as DPC costs are passed through to customers once assets become operational.

Customer bills between 2025 and 2030 will include funding for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme for United Utilities (delivered via DPC) and the Thames Tideway Tunnel (delivered via SIPR). Thames Water customer bills have included impacts from this scheme since 2015.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current level of bad debt in the water sector and what plans they have to reduce that debt.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The occupier of a property has a legal responsibility to pay the water bill of that property. Water sector bad debt is money owed to water companies which customers are failing to pay off.

This Government expects all water companies to proactively engage with supporting their customers and to put robust support in place to help customers make payments on any outstanding debt.

Between 2019 and 2024 bad debt cost the sector £2.205 billion. Under Ofwat’s PR24 Final Determinations, companies have committed to contributing £197 million of funding to reduce the number of households in debt.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of water bill increases on coastal communities that are affected by sewage dumping.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population, and climate change. Bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.

As the independent economic regulator, it is Ofwat's responsibility to independently scrutinise water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. Ofwat will therefore publish their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which will set company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030.

During its first week of office, the Government announced funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will therefore ensure when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers, with money never allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce sewage discharges into (a) the River Mole and (b) other rivers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

For too long, water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers.

We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.

With respect to the Mole catchment, the Environment Agency has carried out inspections at six sewage treatment works this financial year. Where permit non-compliance has been found, they have worked with Thames Water to ensure most issues are rectified immediately. Outstanding issues remain under investigation and future action will be considered in line with the Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

Found: Water Bill 2024-25

Found: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party) noted that many people would support “a more radical water bill

Water bills and council tax are being looked at to increase by more than 5% with most families already struggling. The councils waste money every year and water bill hikes are down to water companies lack of investing and paying shareholders instead of spending wisely

Found: The councils waste money every year and water bill hikes are down to water companies lack of investing

We want the government to take action to get OFWATS permitted water bill increases for 2025-2030 (PR24) reviewed. The government should produce new legislation so that the cost of investments is shared more by shareholders and housebuilders. OFWAT should be replaced as part of the process.

Found: Introduce measures to scrap OFWATS permitted water bill increases for 2025-2030.

Found: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party) noted that many people would support “a more radical water bill

Found: Stop public bailout of the water industry (Water Bill Section 12-14) The Water (Special Measures) Bill

Found: It reflects the anger, frustration, but also hope of those who see the Water Bill as a vital opportunity

Found: value of water companies is based on expectations that the United Kingdom Government, or water bill

Found: the total costs were additional to current spending plans , then the difference in the average water bill

Found: the total costs were additional to current spending plans , then the difference in the average water bill

Found: The Independent Water Commission must now drive systemic reform, leading to a stronger water bill later

Found: That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen

Found: For example, her water bill had increased by £20 a month and her weekly food shop from £100 to £130.

Found: last couple of years (energy and utility bills, food, petrol/diesel, TV license, Council Tax, water bill

Found: Five communications were tested, including a household water bill, a car insurance renewal, and a monthly

Found: That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen

Found: Correspondence on a Water Bill: EIR release

Found: Correspondence on a Water Bill: EIR release