CCW welcomes EFRA Committee’s support for a single social tariff

CCW has welcomed a report from the EFRA Committee which has strongly supported the need for a single social tariff to ensure everyone can afford their water bill.

Responding to the Priorities for water sector reform report, Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:

We’re pleased the Committee has recognised the urgent need for fairer, more consistent support for households facing unprecedented water bill rises. A single, centrally funded social tariff would end the postcode lottery of existing water company schemes and ensure financial support flows to where it’s most needed.

The Committee’s findings also echo our calls for a fundamental cultural shift in water companies – where people always come before profit, and customers have a greater stake in decisions that affect their lives. Customers want sector leadership to be transparent and directly accountable. Without it, trust in water companies will continue to ebb away.

The creation of a single social tariff to provide fair and consistent support for people who cannot afford their water bill was one of the key recommendations to emerge from CCW’s independent review of water affordability back in 2021.