Stop water rate hikes — hold investors & Directors accountable · petition

What the petition asks

Require water firms not to raise household bills until infrastructure is delivered. Limit dividends and executive pay via new OFWAT powers. Investors and shareholders NOT CONSUMERS must fund upgrades or issue equity

Water companies successfully appealed and forced extra price hikes, despite OFWATS 2025-30 tariff limits. The CMA has provisionally approved average additional rises, granting £556 million more in revenue. From CUSTOMERS, not the shareholders. This gives companies further power to burden customers rather than shareholders.
Failing water companies should be allowed to fail and be brought into public ownership. Shareholders must be held to account, not households. Enough is Enough

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

We can only accept petitions about things the Government or Parliament are directly responsible for.

Decisions about price controls for water are a matter for Ofwat, not the UK Government or Parliament.

Under the Water Industry Act 1991, Ofwat has a statutory duty to make sure that companies are able to finance the proper carrying out of their functions. In setting price controls Ofwat's aim is to allow for a return on capital that is no more than necessary for an efficiently run company to get the funding they need, and that ensures customers only pay for a reasonable level of financing costs.

You can find out more about Ofwat's price controls here:
https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/price-review/

You may also wish to sign this petition which calls for the same action:

Abolish and replace Ofwat, and new legislation on investment in the water system
Abolish and replace Ofwat, and new legislation on investment in the water system

Timeline

9 Oct 2025	Petition opened for signatures
14 Nov 2025	Rejected by the Petitions Committee