380,000 more households got help with water bills last year, says CCW, as it calls for a single social tariff

The Consumer Council for Water's (CCW) annual figures show almost 380,000 more households received lower bills through company social tariffs in 2025-26. Around 2.3 million customers were helped in total, a 19% increase (WaterBriefing). CCW says support is rising, but not as fast as bills, and is renewing its call for a single national scheme.

£258

Source: CCW via WaterBriefing ↗

What we know

• Variation: average reductions across the main company schemes ranged from £159 to £474 a year, depending on each company's eligibility rules.
• WaterSure: the separate bill-cap scheme for metered, high-use households helped more than 273,400 customers, with an average reduction of £428 (PA via Peeblesshire News).
• Bills: the average water and sewerage bill has risen around 34% since April 2025 (CCW).
• Water poverty: a CCW study this summer estimated around 1.8 million households in England and Wales were in water poverty, defined as spending more than 5% of income after housing costs on water, even before the latest rises.

CCW wants a single social tariff for England and Wales to replace what chief executive Mike Keil called a "postcode lottery". He said the English companies' commitment to end water poverty by 2030 "now looks like it has evaporated". Energy Live News reported him describing the current approach as "unfair and unsustainable".

What others are reporting

The PA story carried the only government response. A Defra spokesperson pointed to the planned WaterSure expansion and a "strengthened Water Bill", but made no commitment to a single tariff. PA also noted that the EFRA Committee had separately called for a standardised minimum level of support for low-income households.

Background

The tariff figures sit inside CCW's wider Water Mark 2026 report, published on 4 November. It found household complaints to companies up 56%, and complaints needing CCW's help up 84%, a record. Satisfaction with water supply fell from 90% to 86%.

The single-tariff argument is not new. In February 2025, during the passage of the Water (Special Measures) Bill, ministers added powers that could allow automatic enrolment of vulnerable customers. EFRA said at the time that these amendments "do not commit the Government to reform" (The Water Report).

The government's chosen route so far has been WaterSure. In March 2026 it announced changes reaching around 300,000 households from early 2027, adding 53,000 households on disability benefits. Other customers will fund the changes through an extra £1.14 on their bills (GOV.UK).

What we don't know yet

CCW has not published a costed design for a national tariff, including how it would be funded and what cross-subsidy it would require between regions. The government has not said whether the Water Bill will include one.

What to watch

• Whether the Water Bill contains a single social tariff, or a power to create one.
• How company schemes are treated in PR29 business plan guidance.
• The WaterSure changes taking effect in early 2027.
• Further movement in complaints and debt data as the April 2027 bills land.