Overview

• CCW recorded 8,235 escalated cases in 2023–24, up 3% and the highest in nine years, despite an 8% fall in complaints made directly to companies.
• Billing issues dominated grievances, with a 138% jump in complaints about the scale of increases and a 39% rise in people saying they could not afford higher charges.
• Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, South West Water, Affinity Water and SES Water ranked poorest for complaints, while Wessex Water, Portsmouth Water and Bristol Water performed best.
• Ofwat said Anglian Water and South West Water face more than £86 million in enforcement packages for failures linked to wastewater spills.
• CCW reported a 48% rise in poor experiences with smart meter installations, while environmental complaints it handled fell 31% but remained elevated.