Labour’s new powers for water customers are a ‘stitch-up’, say campaigners
Summary
The UK government and the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) are creating new consumer panels to help people hold water companies responsible for issues like water shortages and sewage problems. However, some campaigners criticize the plan because water companies have been involved in advising how these panels will work, which they say might limit how much power customers really get.Key Facts
- The government plans to set up “powerful consumer panels” allowing customers to question and get help from local water companies in England and Wales.
- The CCW asked water companies for advice on how these panels should be set up.
- Water companies have been criticized for poor service, including water outages and sewage dumping, and customers often struggle to get compensation.
- Water bills are rising while investment in reservoirs is low, causing water shortages and hosepipe bans.
- Complaints about water companies increased by 80% in 2025-26, but the CCW’s resources stayed the same.
- Some campaigners argue that involving water companies in designing the consumer panels is a conflict of interest.
- There are ongoing government discussions about taking Thames Water into public control due to financial problems, but the plan faces legal and financial hurdles.
- New laws are planned to replace the current water regulator with a stronger watchdog to better supervise water companies.
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