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Ofwat Approves £3.4bn Water Bill Rises for 13 Firms

8/16/2026

34 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Ofwat Approves Hikes

Ofwat approved 13 water firms to raise bills for a £3.4 bn, allocating £1.2 bn for safeguards and £477 m for data-centres, prompting a £43 increase for Southern Water next year.
MP Clive Lewis and Lib Dem Tim Farron called the hikes an insult and urged nationalisation.
Ofwat director Helen Campbell said the regulator can claw back spending and will add charges, £80 to Southern Water and £1 to South East Water.

Summary

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History

Historical Context

The Water Act 1989, which became law on 6 July 1989, turned ten regional water authorities into private water-and-sewerage companies and established Ofwat as the economic regulator. Decades of price-cap reviews have let firms such as Southern Water raise tariffs, so today Ofwat’s approval of a new bill increase revives calls for renationalisation.

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Ofwat Approves Hikes

Ofwat approved 13 water firms to raise bills for a £3.4 bn, allocating £1.2 bn for safeguards and £477 m for data-centres, prompting a £43 increase for Southern Water next year.
MP Clive Lewis and Lib Dem Tim Farron called the hikes an insult and urged nationalisation.
Ofwat director Helen Campbell said the regulator can claw back spending and will add charges, £80 to Southern Water and £1 to South East Water.

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