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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of household water bills in 2025; and what discussions her Department plans to have with Ofwat on levels of water bills.

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.

On October 9, the Competition and Markets Authority published its provisional decision that, for the five companies that appealed, bills should increase further. This decision remains subject to consultation and they will not publish their final decision until early next year. This is an independent, statutory process.

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.

We expect water companies to ensure that their customers know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help.