CCW reiterates social tariff call as customers feel the pinch but not the benefit

(by Karma Loveday)

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) reiterated its call for a national social tariff as it published data showing a 19% increase in customers in receipt of help in 2025-26, alongside its annual Water Mark research which found “widespread underperformance across the water sector”. The watchdog noted: "People can see and feel the impact of some of the largest ever rises in water bills – what customers are not seeing is an improvement in service or environmental performance from many companies."

An extra 380,000 households qualified for social tariff discounts in 2025-25, taking the overall total to 2.3m. The value of support was also up, from an average bill reduction of £190 in 2024-25 to £258. This masked a wide range, from £159 to £474, “due to the ’postcode lottery’ approach to financial assistance”. Separately, 273,400 customers received an average bill reduction of £428 through the WaterSure scheme.

The backdrop was April 2025’s average 34% bill increase, paired with service underperformance. CCW highlighted: 

• 12 of 19 companies missed leakage targets, and 13 missed household consumption targets.

• Ten missed targets for supply interruption, and the average length of supply interruptions increased by 15%. 

• Nine of the 11 water and sewerage companies missed pollution targets, and the industry achieved a record low number of stars from the Environmental Agency (16 out of 36). Just 35% of customers were satisfied with companies’ efforts to protect the environment.

• Complaints from households to water companies rose by 56%, while CCW saw a record year-on-year increase (up 84%) in escalated complaints.

• Only 46% of customers rated company communication as good. 

Mike Keil, chief executive of CCW, said: “Support from water companies is rising but so are water bills and the commitment water companies in England made to end water poverty by 2030 now looks like it has evaporated. It is unfair and unsustainable to have a postcode lottery approach to helping customers who cannot afford their water bill. A national single social tariff for water would provide peace of mind to households at the sharp end of cost-of-living pressures.”