Soaring Water Bills in England Drive Consumer Complaints Up Over 50%

Consumer complaints against water companies in England and Wales surged sharply in 2025, rising by more than 50% as households reacted to substantial increases in water bills.

According to The Guardian, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), the government-backed body representing customer interests, recorded over 16,000 complaints last year, compared with 10,600 complaints in 2024. The increase was noticeable across nearly every month since March.

Water companies have faced growing public anger in recent years over sewage discharges into rivers and seas, but dissatisfaction intensified after regulators allowed firms to raise bills to fund long-overdue infrastructure improvements.

The water regulator, Ofwat, approved bill increases of up to 36% between 2025 and 2030, with the bulk of the hikes implemented in April 2025, triggering a wave of complaints.

CCW reported that complaints rose across all major suppliers, with Southern Water recording the highest number of complaints per customer, followed by Severn Trent and Thames Water. CCW CEO Mike Kaile said, “The sustained rise in complaints reflects public concern about affordability, as well as questions about the value they receive for their money.”

The primary driver of complaints was bill affordability, prompting CCW to call for a standardized social tariff to support low-income households. A spokesperson for Water UK stated, “We recognize the increases are unwelcome, which is why companies have doubled financial support to reach £4.1 billion over five years.”

Public frustration is further fueled by perceptions that water companies have paid billions in dividends to investors and awarded high executive salaries, despite restrictions on bonuses. Members of Parliament have criticized Ofwat for not enforcing stricter oversight on financial disclosures, highlighting concerns over “bonus circumvention.”

England remains the only country in the world with a fully privatized water system, in contrast to Scotland and Northern Ireland, where local governments manage water supplies.