Water Bills

Lord Whitty Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right that people need water to be healthy. We have the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which has a very high rating. The issues we had last year around E. coli were very unusual, but it is critical that we do not have situations like that arising again. That is why it is important to work with water companies to make sure that situations like that are going to be planned for, so that if they occur, they can be dealt with swiftly. Ideally, we need to continue to work with the Drinking Water Inspectorate to ensure that such situations do not arise in future.

[Lord Whitty (Lab)]

My Lords, I commend to the Minister the suggestions from the Consumer Council for Water, a commendable organisation that deserves more support. It has made six suggestions on reducing water bills for vulnerable people, including those in single occupancy premises and those with medical conditions, largely using the WaterSure mechanism. Can she pay particular attention to those suggestions and hopefully put them into effect?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

Clearly, it is important that we protect the most vulnerable. We expect water companies to put robust support in place to address water poverty. My noble friend mentioned WaterSure, but there are options such as payment breaks, social tariffs and debt management support. It is important that water companies work with vulnerable customers to ensure that they know all the options available to them. The Consumer Council for Water does important work, so I think it is important that the suggestions it made are looked at seriously.