Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responding to Ofwat’s draft publication of the amount the water companies can charge from 2015-2020, said:

“The water industry needs to be reformed if we are to tackle the real problems for consumers facing a cost-of-living crisis. But on David Cameron’s watch water companies have made huge profits while people have been struggling to pay their water bills.

“Rather than making water companies help customers with unaffordable bills, David Cameron has allowed them to pay huge profits back to their shareholders.

“David Cameron’s failure to act means that only six companies currently offer social tariffs for people who struggle to pay their water bills. Labour will introduce a package of measures to require far greater social responsibility from the water companies, including requiring all water companies to sign up to a new national affordability scheme ending the current postcode lottery.”