A new report commissioned by CCW released today provides timely and much-needed evidence on how customers understand and experience financial information published by water companies.

United Utilities says it has delivered strong financial performance in 2025/26 - the first year of AMP8 – its preliminary, unaudited full year results show underlying revenue increased 20% in line with allowances set out in the PR24 Final Determination, resulting in an underlying operating profit of £1.06 billion, a 35% increase compared with the prior year.

Southern Water is reporting a positive start to AMP8 with further improvements delivered across a number of key operational metrics and a clear Delivery Action Plan to address areas of underperformance, according to its newly released unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2025.

A highly critical new report by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is warning that a failing water sector in which “water companies increasingly look like financial institutions rather than businesses servicing monopolised critical infrastructure” is in need of “root and branch reform”.

Ofwat has today announced the final decision in two investigations looking into the operations of Thames Water, who will face penalties totalling £122.7m. These will be paid by the company and its investors, and not by customers.

Alistair Carmichael MP Chair of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, has written separately to Thames Water Chair Sir Adrian Montague and CEO Chris Weston to ask for further clarification of the information they provided when they appeared before the Committee in person on 13 May in an uncomfortable session as part of its ongoing inquiry into reforming the water sector.

The Government has confirmed that paying bonuses in the form of retention payments to senior executives are not an an option for Thames Water, following comments by water company Chair Sir Adrian Montague when he appeared before the House of Commons Select Committee for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) last week.

On 25 February Ofwat hosted its Turning the Tide conference in Westminster bringing together water companies, eNGOs, campaigners and others from the sector to discuss the AMP8 period and year ahead.

Pennon Group PLC, owners of South West Water (SWW) and Sutton and East Surrey (SES), has accepted Ofwat’s Final Determination announced in December, following their respective outstanding and good/standard AMP8 business plan assessments.

customer billsSouthern Water will be the first water company to appear before MPs on the House of Commons EFRA Committee in the first evidence session of their reforming the water sector inquiry which starts at 10am tomorrow morning.