Stronger regulation needed on water companies, says Wiltshire MP, with bills set to rise
Sarah Gibson says Ofwat needs scrapping
Last updated 14th Oct 2025
A Wiltshire MP says a new regulator is needed to control water companies with water bills expected to rise.
It's after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally allowed companies, including Wessex and Thames Water to raise bills more than originally approved.
MP for Chippenham, Calne, Corsham, Lyneham and Royal Wootton Bassett, Sarah Gibson, says she's disappointed but not surprised.
She says dealing with water companies is like playing "Whack-a-mole": The fact that our rivers continue to be polluted and I think that's much more a case of a problem in the north of the constituency, under Thames Water than perhaps it is under Wessex Water, but you do seem to have one problem tackled and then another one springs up."
Ms Gibson criticised Thames Water for implementing a summer hose pipe ban, restricting water use, despite leaks that saw usable water running across street.
She added that Wessex Water had been making investments to deal with storm overflows, but that is an issue that needs be tackled at source.
"If we had a better regulator, more joined up, thinking we'd be able to stop some of this problem at source and the surface water was never getting into the treatment plant and instead we just see complete chaos in the system," Ms Gibson said.
She, and the Liberal Democrat party, has been calling for a regulator, in place of Ofwat, who can control water companies as well as implement tariffs that protect vulnerable customers, while also banning companies from distributing bonuses until environmental standards are met.
"We need coherent, joined up thinking," Ms Gibson said.
Added strain on purse-strings
Ms Gibson said these "unexpected" price rises are going to push people's already stretched budgets even close to breaking point.
"If you're just about managing the idea that now water is expensive along with all the other utility bills that you're paying and there is very little support," she said.
While there are hardship funds at water companies' disposal, Ms Gibson described them as "very limited".
She said: "Most constituents are going to be facing this impact of huge rises in price, and yet they don't see anything in terms of support for them or improvements in the system."
Campaign to reduce bills
In the summer, Ms Gibson set up a campaign to bring water bills down.
"If this whole system was better managed, there would be no need for these rises in prices," she said.
Ms Gibson says the campaign is about giving constituents a voice in the conversation over water bills.
She claimed that the "mismanagement" of the previous Conservative government, failures of water companies themselves and a Labour administration "dragging its feet on regulation and control" has led to a "fragmented" system.
"Nothing is working properly and the answer is just, 'let's put the bill to the to the customer' and that's not just not good enough," she said.
Why Wessex Water went to the CMA
Wessex Water says no price rises have been implemented yet, with the CMA's findings only provisional.
The organisation said it believed Ofwat's ruling was going to hold it back from delivering the improvements customers want to see.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “We are working through the CMA’s provisional findings and will respond in due course.
“We referred our business plan to the CMA because we don’t accept that Ofwat’s final determination of the plan will allow us to deliver the improvements our customers want to see, or our wider obligations to deliver infrastructure that will boost economic growth in line with Government strategy.
“We understand that the prospect of possible bill rises may be worrying to some customers. We have a range of help available including flexible payment plans, payment breaks, debt support and more. We recommend looking at our website or getting in touch for support.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy said there are plans to introduce a new regulator.
She said: “I understand the public's anger over bill rises – that’s why I expect every water company to offer proper support to vulnerable people. anyone struggling to pay.
"We’ve made sure that investment cash goes into infrastructure upgrades, not bonuses, and we’re creating a tough new regulator to clean up our waterways and restore trust in the system.
"We are laser focused on helping ease the cost of living pressure on households: we’ve frozen fuel duty, raised the minimum wage and pensions and brought down mortgage rates — putting more money in people’s pockets.”