More examples this week of water company support for customers affected by the current pandemic. Ofwat is sharing the great work of water company workers, helping to keep our taps flowing. But water companies are doing so much more for their customers & communities.

Wessex Water and Bristol Water have confirmed that thousands of frontline NHS workers have applied for a bill rebate. Most companies have now confirmed that staff will not be furloughed. It follows news we reported last week of Anglian Water’s £1million fund for local communities, partly to help customers affected by Covid 19.

However, some companies are halting, temporarily at least, their capital programmes. And there is emerging evidence that Covid 19 is likely to hit revenues (and financing), putting further pressure on company finances.

More widely, the Bank of England has been roundly criticised for ‘failing climate’ with Covid-19 stimulus programme, after it revealed it would buy debt from oil companies as part of its coronavirus stimulus programme. Read more in the Guardian.