Latest news with #ConsumerCouncilForWater
The Sun
a day ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Hosepipe ban for MILLIONS more Brits as fourth water firm is days from imposing restrictions – are YOU affected?
OVER a million more households were told to prepare for a hosepipe ban yesterday — with 2.5million on the brink. Thames Water said it will impose restrictions from next Tuesday in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and parts of Berkshire. affecting six million customers. Sources said Southern Water — which supplies Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and East & West Sussex — is also days away from its own ban. Up to five more regions could be in a drought by September, according to the Environment Agency. Thames Water said: "This year, the UK experienced one of its warmest and driest springs in over a century. "June was also England's warmest on record. The Environment Agency has put our area into the prolonged dry weather category. "That's why we need to bring in a hosepipe ban. "It will help protect the environment and make sure there's enough water to go around this summer." Those who flout the bans face fines of up to £1,000. Cath Jones, from the Consumer Council for Water, said: "People do have a really important part to play, not only through adhering to the restrictions, but also making small changes. "These include shaving a couple of minutes off their shower, turning off the tap while brushing their teeth and only running washing machines and dishwashers on eco mode and with full loads." Water companies in England and Wales have been ordered to return millions 1
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Warning to Brits as these 6 things break hosepipe ban and could lead to £1k fine
With the first hosepipe ban of the year implemented in Yorkshire and a second coming to the Sussex and Kent areas, it is important to know the rules. Hosepipe bans are put in place by utility companies typically to tackle ongoing supply issues amid warmer weather. But what can you not do under a hosepipe ban, and what are the consequences for breaking it? Large fines could be issued to those flaunting the rules, so here is all you need to know. There are a number of rules you have to follow during a hosepipe ban or face a large fine (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) A hosepipe ban, officially called a Temporary Usage Ban (TUB), does what it says on the tin and works to ban the use of hosepipes over a period of time. As explained by the Consumer Council for Water, the ban stays in place until the "situation is improved" and is usually up to the discretion of the utility company. It stops several activities involving water usage in the garden and beyond. Yorkshire Water, which put in place the first hosepipe ban of the year, said users will need to stop using hosepipes for: Watering the garden or plants in your garden at home Cleaning private vehicles or boats Filling or maintaining a swimming pool, paddling pool, hot tub or cold-water plunge pool at home Filling or maintaining a domestic pond or ornamental fountain Cleaning your home's walls or windows yourself Cleaning paths, patios or artificial outdoor surfaces Typically, there are some exceptions to the rules, which may differ per utility company and will be outlined on their website. Yorkshire, it's time to put the hosepipes down for a bit. This will help our region's reservoir levels recover and protect Yorkshire's water resources throughout the summer months, following the driest spring for 132 years, which led to the region being declared in drought.… — Yorkshire Water 💧 (@YorkshireWater) July 11, 2025 During hosepipe bans, you can usually still carry out these activities using water from a bucket or a watering can, or water that is not sourced from mains water. If you are caught breaking a hosepipe ban, you could be fined up to £1,000. As Yorkshire Water explains: "The legislation gives a court power to fine customers who ignore it up to £1,000, but we hope it won't come to that." It added that it "hopes customers would respect the restrictions", but will enforce it if not. The utility continued: "We will be asking everyone to adhere to the restrictions. If we are told repeatedly about someone breaking the restrictions, the first thing we do is remind them of their obligations. "This is usually enough. However, if they continue to use a hosepipe, we may escalate our enforcement accordingly." Meanwhile, South East Water, which announced its hosepipe ban in Sussex and Kent on Friday (July 11), said "prosecution is a last resort" but also warned of £1,000 fines at worst. As of the morning of Saturday, July 12, there is just one hosepipe ban in place, by Yorkshire Water, for all of its customers in the area. A second, which South East Water announced on Friday (July 11), will not come into effect until Friday, July 18. If you want to find out if your area has a hosepipe ban in place, first find your supplier by using Water UK's postcode checker. Recommended reading: Can you use a watering can during a hosepipe ban? Temperatures set to soar What are the rules for hosepipe bans in the UK? Activities households must avoid Met Office issues heatwave warning amid 'increased chance' of hot summer in UK From there, you can contact your water supplier or check their website for any restrictions. There are chances for more hosepipe bans, with the UK's biggest water company, Thames Water, previously saying it was 'not confident' it could avoid bringing in restrictions this summer. Other major water companies, while not bringing in bans at the moment, are understood to be keeping it under review.
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Millions of customers to get up to £2,000 in water bill compensation from TODAY under big shake-up
MILLIONS of water customers are set to get up to £2,000 in compensation from today. New rules set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) now require water companies to pay up to ten times more in automatic compensation. 1 Defra said the changes, originally proposed in December 2024, will make sure people are fairly reimbursed for supply problems and poor service. Automatic compensation is usually given to homes and businesses affected by problems like supply interruptions, sewer flooding, or low water pressure. Compensation rates have remained unchanged since the early 2000s - until now. Meanwhile, payouts for consistent low water pressure will jump to up to £250, a big increase from the old rate of just £25. Compensation for when water suppliers fail to turn up to appointments will rise from £20 to £50. The government is also working with water companies to expand the list of circumstances that will trigger compensation payments. Compensation for when customers are asked to boil their water due to contaminated supply will come into force later this year. Environment secretary Steve Reed said: "Too many water companies are letting down their customers - with leaking pipes, poor water supply and low water pressure. "The Government is holding water companies to account by making them put money back into people's pockets when they fail their customers." The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and Ofwat support the changes. They believe higher payouts and broader rules will push water companies to provide better services. Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said: "Customers expect to be treated fairly when their water company lets them down, so we're delighted the Government has moved at pace to strengthen service standards." "This should give people peace of mind they now have far stronger protection from a much broader range of water company service failures - from the slow installation of water meters to the mishandling of debt recovery. "As well as bolstering payments for thousands of customers, these changes mark an important step towards restoring trust in the water sector which is at an all-time low." These changes are part of a bigger government plan to improve the water industry. It includes tougher rules and possible criminal charges for water company bosses who break the law. At the same time, it is also banning unfair bonuses for executives at six polluting water companies. A record 81 criminal investigations into sewage pollution have been launched to tackle environmental damage. Plus, £104billion from private sector investment is being secured to upgrade old sewage pipes and reduce sewage by nearly half by 2030. The average annual water and wastewater bill increased by £123 in April, taking it from £480 to £603. Last month, The Sun revealed how millions of households are unable to get help with their bills through a vital scheme due to a key loophole. What water bill support is available? IT'S always worth checking if you qualify for a discount or extra support to help pay your water bill. Over two million households who qualify to be on discounted social water tariffs aren't claiming the savings provided, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). Only 1.3million households are currently issued with a social water tariff - up 19% from the previous year. And the average household qualifying for the discounted water rates can slash their bills by £160 a year. Every water company has a social tariff scheme which can help reduce your bills if you're on a low income and the CCW is calling on customers to take advantage before bills rise in April. Who's eligible for help and the level of support offered varies depending on your water company. Most suppliers also have a pot of money to dish out to thousands of customers who are under pressure from rising costs - and you don't have to pay it back. These grants can be worth hundreds of pounds offering a vital lifeline when faced with daunting water bills. The exact amount you can get depends on where you live and your supplier, as well as your individual circumstances. Many billpayers across the country could also get help paying off water debts through a little-known scheme and even get the balance written off. Companies match the payments eligible customers make against the debt on their account to help clear it sooner. If you're on a water meter but find it hard to save water as you have a large family or water-dependent medical condition, you may be able to cap your bills through the WaterSure scheme. Bills are capped at the average amount for your supplier, so the amount you could save will vary. The Consumer Council for Water estimates that bills are reduced by £307 on average through the scheme.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
South West Water using drones and satellites to cut leaks
Drones and other "digital detection" technology are being used by a water company to cut leaks on its network, bosses say. South West Water (SWW) has faced criticism over its leakage rates, including in a letter sent by the government and industry regulators in October 2024. The company said it had "invested heavily" and that the amount of lost water to leakage fell in the year 2024/25 compared to the previous year. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which represents water customers, said "SWW has a long way to go to prove to people it has leaks on its network under control". Karl Little, leakage delivery manager for the utility, said: "We understand people's frustrations. "We have reduced leakage by 10 million litres a day. We've repaired more than 16,000 leaks in the last year. "We've now got more than 120 field technicians carrying out checks, plus office staff analysing data. "We've invested heavily in digital detection, with teams taking sound samples to find leaks".Mr Little also said drones and satellites were being used to help find leaks faster. The latest average annual leakage data from the SWW showed 107 million litres of water a day (Ml/d) were lost due to leakage in 2024/25, down from 118 Ml/d the year before. However, that was up on 2022/23, where 112 ML/d were lost. "We know that leakage – particularly visible leaks – really gets under the skin of customers, especially when they are being asked to save water at home", said Cath Jones, from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which represents the views of water customers across the country."South West Water has work to do to become a leading performer on leakage and has a long way to go to prove to people it has leaks on its network under control" she added. Performance 'closely monitored' In a letter sent to SWW by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Ofwat and the Environment Agency in October 24, SWW was warned to "improve its performance on leakage as a priority" after average annual leakage rose in 2023/23 by 6.19 Ml/d. The latest figures from the company show that leakage rates have since improved, although those statistics are yet to be ratified by the industry regulator. "We fully support the efforts of all water companies to tackle leakage and have challenged South West Water to reduce loss by 31% in the 10 years to 2030", said regulator Ofwat. "Performance is closely monitored, we hold regular review meetings with the company, and do not hesitate to take robust action when we find any supplier has not met its commitments."Between 2020 and 2024, more than £3.2m was handed back to South West customers due to underperformance on leakage."Over the next five years, we have provided South West Water with an allowance of £17.9m for work on leakage reduction". South West Water provides water and sewerage services to about 1.8 million customers in Devon and Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, plus small parts of Dorset and Somerset.
