Overall trust in water companies falls again as customers question fairness of bills 

Fewer households believe the amount water companies charge is fair, with customers’ overall trust in the sector also hitting a new low.

That’s according to the Consumer Council for Water’s (CCW) annual Water Matters survey, which has tracked the views of households in England and Wales on water and sewerage services for the past 14 years.

The survey points to a growing perception of unfairness over what people are being asked to pay for services. Just 53% of households felt what they were being charged was fair, falling for a third successive year to reach an all-time low (down 2% on last year). And less than two-thirds (65%) of households were satisfied they receive value for money for their water service, down 4% to also reach a new low.

After sliding to its lowest-ever level last year, the overall trust score for water companies fell again (6.28 out of 10) despite the majority of companies improving their score. These improvements were overshadowed by the poor performance of a few companies including Thames Water (5.12 out of 10) and South West Water (5.42 out of 10) – the two least trusted suppliers.

Wessex Water (7.02 out of 10) and Northumbrian Water (6.91 out of 10) topped the consumer trust ratings and both companies improved their scores.

CCW is concerned people’s views of the sector may get worse before they get better with the study having been completed before households were told they would face an unprecedented rise in water bills from April 2025. This took the average household water and sewerage bill to £603 – an increase of around £123.

In return, the sector has pledged to deliver a record five-year package of investment to improve services and clean up rivers, streams and seas – but CCW says customers must see companies delivering.

Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:

Water companies have been entrusted with an unprecedented amount of customers’ money, so people need to see and experience a marked difference and are not going to tolerate more broken promises.

Restoring people’s trust in the sector and belief they are getting a fair deal depends on companies not only consistently delivering on their commitments but also communicating really clearly to customers how their money is flowing directly to improve the things they care about, like the health of our rivers.

Last year’s report contained the worst set of results ever seen in the survey as customer satisfaction with water companies dipped across every measured area, driven largely by people’s concerns over the sector’s environmental performance.

The latest results suggest some of these perceptions have either stabilised or improved but there is also considerable regional variation in the performance of companies. This underlines the need for the sector to work far more collaboratively in sharing best practice so customers across England and Wales experience a consistently high level of service.

One of the areas where companies appear to be making good progress is raising awareness of the support they can offer households in need of financial help. Awareness of different types of company support rose to its highest level, including schemes designed to help those who struggle to afford their bill – known as social tariffs – which climbed to 49% (up 4% on last year).

This financial support has taken on even greater significance with water bills soaring to record levels and households braced for more increases over the rest of the decade. Companies are increasing the overall package of support for struggling households, but CCW says this still falls short of what is needed to ensure everyone can afford their water bill.

CCW wants to see the introduction of a single social tariff for England and Wales, which can provide fairer and more consistent support and will leave no one languishing in water poverty. CCW is working closely with the government and wider sector to try and make this a reality.

Other improvements are also in the pipeline with the UK Government looking to strengthen the help provided through the WaterSure scheme, on the back of recommendations submitted by CCW. This scheme caps the water bills of some metered customers who are in receipt of certain benefits and need to use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because of the number of children in the household.

Notes to editors 

The full Water Matters data report can be read here

Fieldwork for the survey was carried out between 8 July 2024 and 18 December 2024 and involved a total of 4,254 interviews.