Just under 223,000 complaints were made to water companies in England and Wales during 2023-24 – a rise of 29%, CWW figures revealed.
Billing disputes made up more than half of complaints, and concerns about environmental performance, such as spills from storm overflows and pollution, increased by 217%. Complaints about water meters also rose.
CCW chief executive Dr Mike Keil said households were having to waste far too much time and energy resolving complaints, which water companies “should be getting right first time”.
“We’re particularly concerned to see a significant rise in complaints from customers with water meters who are questioning the accuracy of their bill,” he said.
“More companies are planning to roll out smart meters over the next few years, so they must listen and act on people’s concerns now or risk further damaging customer trust.”
CCW also assessed how well complaints were handled, with Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Cambridge Water rated as poor.
Wessex Water and Portsmouth Water received top marks.
