The House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) has published data received from 11 major water and sewage companies in England and Wales, showing their use of bailiffs against customers who are in debt as part of its inquiry into reforming the water sector.

The EFRA Committee is highlighting that some of the most significant users of bailiffs between 2019 and 2025 were United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water, South West Water/Pennon and Northumbrian Water.

Adjusted for the size of their local population, the water companies that made the most use of bailiffs in 2025 were South West Water/Pennon, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water.

There were also high peaks of overall usage by some companies. In 2022 Severn Trent instructed bailiffs 11,574 times, and in 2019 Southern Water instructed 15,707 bailiffs.

The overall use of bailiffs across the industry peaked in 2023 and 2024, even while some companies used them less in this period.

The Committee is also publishing correspondence received from all of the water companies it wrote to which contain data and information about each company’s policies on using bailiffs.

Bailiffs, or enforcement agents, are instructed to act by a company following a court order.

Water companies told the Commitee that they have different approaches for deciding when litigation might be inappropriate against a particular customer. Some use a holistic analysis, whereas others have categories of blanket exemption.  

Customers on the Priority Services Register or otherwise identified as ill, disabled or elderly are frequently exempted from litigation. Firms such as Northumbrian said they do not use bailiffs who are known to be in receipt of means-tested benefits, whereas Southern said these customers are eligible for litigation.

Many companies had a moratorium or changed their policies during the pandemic. 

Wessex Water is not included in the graphs as they told the Committee they have not used bailiffs over the last 10 years. Hafren Dyfrdwy began using them in 2024.

Some companies, including United Utilities, told the Committee that companies’ overall use of bailiffs will be partly dependent on the affluence of their population, as well as the size of the population.

The companies also said they had increased their focus on pursuing customers with the means to pay their bills but who choose not to pay. This allows those companies to prioritise targeted support for those engaging with them in good faith but struggling to pay.  

The Committee will write to Citizens Advice and the Consumer Council for Water to highlight the use of bailiffs across the sector.

EFRA Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael MP commented:

"The Committee has used its unique position to reveal this information from water companies, which are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act despite providing an essential public service.

“It is interesting and concerning to see the extent of their use of bailiffs over time and to see such differing approaches. The figures should be seen in the context of various cost of living shocks that have hit households over recent years.

“For any family or individual to be subject to legal action is no small matter and can be a cause of severe stress and anxiety. We would urge any company to review its practices and ensure they are as sparing and compassionate as possible.

“There are other findings that rouse curiosity. Why did bailiff use increase so rapidly after the pandemic? Did anyone look into it at the time? We have referred this information to Citizens Advice and the Consumer Council for Water for further scrutiny.”