Trust in water companies across England and Wales has plunged to a new low as households grapple with soaring bills.

Some 13 water companies saw their customer trust ratings fall during the year and the overall score for England and Wales drop from 6.28 to 6.07 out of 10, according to the 15th Water Matters report by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).

Thames Water achieved a trust score of just 4.74 – way below the average and the most trusted company Northumbrian Water, which achieved 7.02.

Chris Weston, Thames Water boss (Image: PA)

Most common concerns were about companies’ management of sewer flooding and their efforts to clean wastewater properly before releasing it back into the environment.

The survey also found some 44 per cent of household customers believe their water charges are fair, falling for a third successive year to reach another record low.

Some 63 per cent of customers say their water bill is affordable, down 11 per cent to another new low.

The report comes against a backdrop of unprecedented bill rises in April.

Fewer than half of customers (46 per cent) said their water company was doing a good job of communicating its plans, slipping to its lowest ever level, despite firms investing more than £100 billion as part of a five-year package to improve services and clean up rivers, streams, lakes and seas.

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Queries about bills remained the most common reason for households to contact their water company – reaching a record high – but satisfaction with customer service hit a new low.

This was also reflected in the number of complaints that were escalated to CCW last year, with the watchdog handling just over 16,000 – an overall increase of 51 per cent compared with 2024.

CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: “Fewer customers think they are getting a fair deal or value for money and what’s clear from our work with consumers is that people want more clarity about their bills, how their money is being spent and what support water companies can offer them.”

A Water UK spokesman said: “According to this report, 86 per cent of customers are satisfied with their water supply, and awareness of the support available to households is at an all-time high.

“Water companies are investing a record £104 billion to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.

“At the same time, around three million households will receive reduced bills and other forms of financial support by the end of the decade.”

A Thames Water spokesman 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 per cent to £1.26bn. Our half-year results also showed a 20 per cent 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.”

It is understood the sample size for this survey was 200 Thames Water customers, which represents 0.0000125 per cent of the total number of people the water company covers.

Oxford Stand up to Racism Group will march in London in commemoration of Nakba day.

Nakba day, on May, 15, is an annual day that marks the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homes.

Also known as the ‘memory of the catastrophe’ the day is in remembrance of the Palestinians who were forced from their homes during the establishment of The State of Israel in 1948.

The protest, on Saturday, has been organised by the Palestine Coalition and Stand Up To Racism, is scheduled to start at 12pm, and will go from Exhibition Road to Waterloo Place via Brompton Road, Hyde Park Corner, and Piccadilly.

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The ‘March Against Racism’ in Oxford on Sunday, November 16, 2025 (Image: Oxford Stand Up To Racism)

The march coincides with a Tommy Robinson-backed ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest, which the Prime Minister said is “designed to confront and intimidate this diversity and this diverse country”.

The group is also planning a protest against Oxford Union’s decision to invite far-right activist Tommy Robinson to ‘debate’ on whether the West is right to be suspicious of Islam.

Speaking on their Facebook page, the group said: “By inviting Robinson the Oxford Union is helping to boost and legitimise Robinson’s racism and fascism.

“This invitation can only give confidence to his supporters to be more active here.

“At a time of rising racist attacks and increased far right and fascist activity in the UK this invitation is dangerous, and negligent of the safety and peace of Oxford’s diverse community.”

Tax officials are consulting on proposals to dramatically expand the Government’s “Uncertain Tax Treatment” regime – forcing wealthy individuals and trusts to flag tax arrangements worth £5million or more that HMRC may disagree with.

The move would significantly widen powers first introduced in 2022 for large corporations and could pull inheritance tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty and National Insurance into the spotlight.

Under the plans, individuals and trusts benefiting from certain tax interpretations would effectively have to report themselves to HMRC, allowing the tax authority to investigate whether the rules had been applied correctly.

The regime was originally designed for giant businesses with turnover above £200million and balance sheets exceeding £2billion as part of efforts to shrink Britain’s massive tax gap.

Government figures show the tax gap reached a staggering £46.8billion in 2023-24 – the difference between what HMRC believes should be paid and what is actually collected.

But critics point out that only around 10 per cent of the gap is linked to individual taxpayers, while small businesses account for the majority.

Now some wealth advisers fear ministers are increasingly targeting affluent Britons as pressure mounts to raise more tax revenue.

Marc Acheson, Global Wealth Specialist at Utmost, warned the latest proposals could have “unintended consequences” for the UK economy.

He said: “This consultation is the latest in a series of policy initiatives aimed at targeting wealthy individuals to plug fiscal gaps and raise tax revenue.”

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Critics also argue the new rules could create uncertainty for families and trusts trying to manage inheritance and investment planning legally, but others say that taxing the wealthy is fairer than squeezing lower and middle earners in a cost of living crisis.

HMRC says the proposals are aimed at improving transparency and reducing disputes caused by differing interpretations of tax law.

For many wealthy taxpayers, the changes may fuel concerns that Britain’s tax net is stretching wider.