Found: It may be a smallish saving on your water bill, but hot water is one of the largest costs for most

Found: I suppose I have hope that the new water Bill coming forward in Northern Ireland will look at these

Found: I suppose I have hope that the new water Bill coming forward in Northern Ireland will look at these

Found: corporate grouping, bonuses are sometimes paid via other entities, so these companies state that water bill

Found: on timelines, but I want to be respectful to the Chair—we are looking forward to bringing the Water Bill

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of financial support available to customers experiencing water bill debt in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

It is Ofwat's responsibility to independently scrutinise water company business plans and ensure that the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. The price controls set as part of Price Review 2024 (PR24) came into effect on 01 April 2025.

As part of this approach companies are required to publish their charges before each financial year in their Charges Scheme. Ofwat sets charging rules that companies must follow when developing their charging schemes and differences in charges for different services need to reflect differences in costs. Their licences also prohibit companies from setting charges which show undue discrimination or preference. Ofwat does not approve companies’ charges, but they have the powers to intervene if they are or could be breaching the rules or licence conditions.

Water companies must also comply with Ofwat's Paying Fair principles which includes companies needing to make information about services and bills more understandable for all customers – and make it available in a way that best meets their needs.

The Government has already announced that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. When money for investment is not spent, companies will be required to refund customers via lower water bills, with money never allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.

We understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing and we are pushing the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills; water companies must ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Moreover, the Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported.

We also expect all water companies to put appropriate support in place for customers struggling to pay their bills and to proactively engage with their customers to ensure they know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help. All companies have measures in place such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.

The Government has acted decisively by consulting on reforms to WaterSure – the statutory scheme which caps bills for low-income customers with necessary higher water usage and by introducing new and increased compensation for companies to pay customers in the event of unforeseen disruption to supply.

Before the end of the year, the Government will publish a Water White Paper bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. Together with the building blocks the Government has already put in place, this will mark the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.

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 (a) promote competition and (b) expand consumer choice in the water sector.

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

Ofwat has a primary duty set out in Section 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to carry out its relevant functions in the way it considers best to protect the interests of consumers by, where appropriate, promoting effective competition.

There are existing competitive markets in the sector. All businesses in England are already able to choose their water retailer as part of the business retail market. Housing developers also have flexibility over whether they contract with incumbent water companies or 'New Appointments and Variations’. Both of these markets can provide an improved level of service to customers.

The Independent Water Commission makes a number of recommendations intended to strengthen competition within the water sector and protect consumers. The Government has already announced immediate actions, such as the creation of a water ombudsman to protect consumers in disputes. A White Paper setting out further detail will be published and consulted on this autumn, forming the basis of a new 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 his Department is taking to help ensure that water bills do not rise in the context of the closure of Ofwat.

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

The price controls set as part of Price Review 2024 came into effect on 1st April 2025, setting water bill levels for 2025-2030. The abolition of Ofwat and creation of a new water regulator will not affect these.

The Government has set out its intention to create a single powerful super-regulator responsible for the entire water sector, with the teeth to enforce the high standards the public rightly demand and to help protect the public from the kind of bill hikes we saw last year. Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of gearing in water and sewerage companies; how they calculate gearing for the purpose of any official or internal statistics on the insolvency risk of water and sewerage companies; and whether they use equity or assets as a denominator when making any calculation o gearing.

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

The gearing of water companies is reported by Ofwat in its annual Monitoring Financial Resilience Report. Ofwat requires companies to report gearing as net debt divided by Regulatory Capital Value.

Water companies are allowed to raise debt to fund the delivery of their services; this is normal practice across all parts of the private sector. At sensible levels, debt can be an appropriate way to fund investment for essential infrastructure over the longer term. However, we recognise some companies will need to take further steps to strengthen their financial resilience.

The Independent Water Commission has made recommendations around the financial resilience of companies. The Government’s full response to the Commission’s recommendations - including those around financial resilience - will be outlined later this year through a White Paper. The proposed reforms will then form the basis of a new water bill to modernise the entire system so that it is fit for decades to come.

Many water companies have increased prices of supply without reinvestment in the system. Raw sewage has been pumped into the environment where the clean-up is again billed to customers as price increases. Bonuses and dividends should not come from such fixed or standing charges.

Found: Disallow fixed charges on fresh water and wastewater on water bill.

Found: struggling to pay for their water bills • In 2024/25, 20% of bill payers report struggling with their water bill

Found: for a Citizens Advice study said that they would find it difficult to afford the average 2025/26 water bill

Found: Lease document b) Statutory Declarations c) CIL’ Additional Information Requirement form d) Water bill

Found: for a Citizens Advice study said that they would find it difficult to afford the average 2025/26 water bill

Found: in favour of a ban were those expressing a concern for the en vironmental impacts and cost to water bill

Found: Scottish Government communications regarding Water Bill: EIR release

Found: Scottish Government communications regarding Water Bill: EIR release

Found: 3 SCOTLAND IS BETTER OFF LOWER TAXES & CHARGES Scotland England Wales Average Household Water Bill

Found: It went on the emphasise the importance of “balancing ambition with [water] bill affordability”, adding

Found: in the building (mainly used in the toilets) was down around 70%- a reduction reflected in our water bill

Found: building (mainly used in the toilets) was down approximately 70% - a reduction reflected in our water bill

Found: Once a customer has paid their water bill for six months, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water pays off 50% of their