Ofwat Clears £3.4 Billion Water Bill Hike for 13 Firms as Critics Denounce Customer Burden
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
Ofwat Clears £3.4 Billion Water Bill Hike for 13 Firms as Critics Denounce Customer Burden
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
Summary
Ofwat provisionally approved £3.4 billion in extra customer charges for 13 water companies in England and Wales, on top of bill rises already agreed in 2024.
Nearly a third of the funding is earmarked to maintain water services, with the rest targeting demand from housebuilding and data centres, extra wastewater capacity and earlier PFAS cleanup work.
Five companies—Severn Trent, Southern, Thames, Wessex and South East Water—could raise bills by £1 to £43 in 2027/28 and 2029/30, with some costs recovered after 2030.
Ofwat said it rejected part of the £4.3 billion requested and could claw back spending if companies fail to deliver upgrades and environmental improvements.
Andy Burnham and River Action attacked the move as another hit to households already facing leaks, pollution and years of rising bills; a public consultation runs before a final December decision.