27 Jan 2025

Ofwat has published an Analysis of household customer debt. The report This document outlines key statistics on debt for household customers in England and Wales. The regulator is aiming to increase transparency for customers and wider stakeholders, and to enable companies to manage customer debt more effectively. It follows work by Ofwat and the sector to improve definitions […]

31 Dec 2024

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has concluded that there have been failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat following an investigation into the regulation of network combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The OEP has sent each of the public authorities […]

19 Dec 2024

Ofwat has approved £104 billion of investment by water companies in England and Wales over the next five years. The level of the final determinations is close to the £105 billion the industry initially requested, and far more than the £88 billion Ofwat proposed in its draft determination.   Photo credit: Alaur Rahman   Key […]

27 Nov 2024

Ofwat, the economic regulator for English and Welsh water companies, says it had used new powers to ensure that bonuses at the three companies were paid by shareholders and bondholders – rather than through customer bills – because the payments had not “adequately reflected overall company performance issues”. The companies are Thames, Yorkshire, and Dŵr […]

14 Nov 2024

Ofwat, the economic regulator for water in England and Wales, has published a consultation on the proposed standards that all water companies are expected to achieve when using their priority services registers to support household customers in England and Wales from 1 April 2025 onwards.   Photo credit: Murilo Gomes   Priority services registers identify […]

09 Oct 2024

Ofwat’s latest Water Company Performance Report covering the 16 largest water and wastewater companies in England and Wales shows that “companies are making progress in some areas, but in other areas performance is unacceptable”.   Credit: Tom Fisk Key points Poor performance costs water sector £157.6m this year as companies fall further behind on some […]

09 Oct 2024

A coalition of nature groups (including Wildlife and Countryside Link, Rivers Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and Angling Trust) has released analysis of water company business plans for the next five years, recently given draft approval by Ofwat. The scorecard recognises much needed commitments and funding increases in many vital areas, but also shows gaps in water protections […]

09 Oct 2024

A report commissioned by Ofwat provides insight on how the Water Efficiency Fund proposed for AMP8 could be used to help improve the outcomes from the rollout of smart water meters, based on lessons from the energy sector. Ofwat is working with partners to consider the recommendations from the report as the regulator develops its […]