Thames Water is now the least trusted water company in England and Wales
Complaints have soared over the past year, while satisfaction with their service has hit record lows.
Trust in water companies across England and Wales has reached a new low, with households confronting rising bills and dissatisfaction with services, according to the 15th Water Matters report by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
This annual survey highlights a drop in overall customer trust ratings from 6.28 to 6.07 out of 10, with 13 water companies experiencing declines.
Northumbrian Water emerged as the most trusted company with a score of 7.02, while Thames Water received the lowest trust rating at 4.74.
Customer concerns primarily surround sewer flooding management and wastewater cleaning processes before environmental release, exacerbating dissatisfaction with sewerage services, which hit a record low satisfaction level of 60%.
The report indicates that barely a third (35%) of customers are satisfied with water companies' environmental protection efforts.
A record low 44% of households consider their water charges fair as affordability perceptions decrease, with an 11% drop resulting in only 63% finding bills affordable.
Despite substantial water company investments exceeding £100 billion to enhance services and clean resources, fewer than half (46%) of customers felt adequately informed about plans and improvements.
Queries regarding bills remain the most prevalent reason for customers to contact water companies, contributing to escalating complaints handled by CCW, which surged by 51% compared to 2024.
CCW Chief Executive Mike Keil emphasizes the need for more transparent billing and expenditure explanations, expressing customer concerns over value for money.
A spokesman from Water UK explained that 86% of customers are satisfied with their water supply, noting increased awareness of available household support.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We are committed to improving our services to build trust in Thames Water and we will review these findings carefully.
“We are delivering the biggest upgrade to our network in 150 years. This record investment focuses on what customers have told us matters most – maintaining safe, high-quality drinking water, fixing leaks, and upgrading sewage treatment works and network to protect our rivers.
“In the first six months of 2025/26 we increased capital investment by 22% to £1.26bn. Our half-year results also showed a 20% reduction in pollutions, reflecting the impact of our focused improvement programmes.
“We’ve expanded support for those struggling with the cost of living. Thames Water currently helps almost 600,000 households, and in the first half of 2025/26 we provided £133 million of financial assistance.”
Despite these efforts, typical customer bills have risen, reflecting the impact of service improvement funding, with nominal increases for metered and unmetered households.