Recent cost of living research from Ofwat found that 20% of water bill payers are struggling to afford their charges.

A March 2024 survey found one in five are struggling with water charges, up from 18% in October 2023. This is part of a wider picture of affordability challenges, with 53% saying they struggle to pay one or more household bills fairly frequently, up from 50% in October 2023.

More positively, the research found 31% (up from 28%) were aware of financial support provided by water companies, and 9% (up from 6%) had accessed it. 38% (up from 35%) trusted water companies to provide good value for money. The research has been conducted six monthly since March 2022.