Nearly 25 million households are facing extra bill hikes from water firms that have been losing more than a billion litres of water a day to leaks, analysis by The i Paper has found.
Five suppliers – Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and South East Water – are set to be given the green light to increase bills by an additional £3.4bn between them in the coming years.
Analysis by The i Paper has found that these companies have lost 1.2 billion litres of water a day to leaks between them, sparking anger from campaigners over the prospect of further bill hikes.
Economy grows by 0.4% – what you need to know
The UK economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, new data has shown.
What is driving the growth
The growth comes after a first quarter in which the economy expanded by 0.6 per cent and has been boosted by the summer sun and sports events, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Computer programming, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry were areas of strength, the ONS said, but this was offset by falls in power generation and sewerage.
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Housing nightmares
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Growth likely to slow
The economy is now 1.2% bigger than a year ago, but economists warn growth is likely to slow in the second half of the year.
Speaking to the , Fergus Jimenez-England, associate economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said: “Both inflation and unemployment are set to rise in the coming months while business sentiment remains fragile and could dampen further with ongoing energy price volatility.”
I’m a pension expert with a £300,000 pot – here are my golden rules for saving
Kirsty Ross has been working in the pensions industry for 15 years but says experts have the same fears and anxieties as everyone else.
How ‘black hole stars’ could explain mystery of the early universe
Strange red spots in images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be a newly discovered type of object called a “black hole star” that is larger than our entire solar system.
Supermassive blackholes
Astronomers have said the objects may help to explain how supermassive blackholes formed so early in the history of the universe.
They lie at the hearts of galaxies and play a key role in determining their growth and evolution.
Solving a puzzle for cosmologists
Supermassive blackholes appear to have formed very soon after the birth of the universe, puzzling cosmologists over how they had time to grow so much during the universe’s infancy.
However, the red dot found by the JWST, which is believed to have formed 660 million years after the Big Bang, may be an infant black hole surrounded by a “cloak of gas” that feeds it as it grows, according to analysis published in the journal .
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The organ in your chest that could be key to living longer
The thymus was once thought to be nearly useless in adults – now scientists think it could be vital for our health.
Nurses ‘collapsing on shift’ due to heatwave – what we know
Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned.
Union warns of unsafe conditions
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has become the latest union to warn of unsafe working conditions for its members as the number of days over 30°C is already at a new record of 35 this summer.
The union has said some staff have collapsed, while others were left dizzy, nauseous or at risk of fainting while dripping with sweat “from head to toe”.
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What is being done about it?
The NHS has been ordered by health secretary Yvette Cooper to prepare for the effects of heatwaves each year in the same way that it prepares for winter.
Earlier this year, the Climate Change Committee of MPs said that the government should ensure cooling measures are installed in all hospitals and care homes by 2035.
Nurses are being ‘failed’
When nursing staff are collapsing, feeling dizzy, sick or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because their workplaces cannot handle the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed.
RCN chief executive and general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger
Stunning solar eclipse dazzles Europe – in pictures
From Aberdeen to Penzance, from Aberystwyth to Hull, skywatchers were out in force yesterday to see the best solar eclipse in a generation.
In pictures
The spectacle continues
A once-in-a-lifetime experience for many
The event sparked huge interest for people across the UK as the Moon covered more than 90 per cent of the Sun.
It was the first time for many, with the last full eclipse occurring in August 1999. However, eclipse enthusiasts will have to wait until 23 September 2090 for the next one.
A scramble for eclipse glasses
Looking directly at the eclipse with the naked eye, or even sunglasses, can cause permanent damage, so a scramble for eclipse glasses ensued around the country.
Huge queues formed at shops which still had stock left, while many had already sold out and were forced to turn away customers.
Temperatures to hit 38°C today as amber warning expanded
Sweltering temperatures of up to 38°C are set to hit the UK today.
The Met Office has today issued an updated amber extreme heat warning for areas across the UK lasting from 9:00 to 23:00.
The relentless heat means that this summer is likely to be the hottest on record.
A dangerous period of heat
The sweltering temperatures forecast today mark the peak of the UK’s latest heatwave.
Tropical nights, where temperatures fail to drop below 20°C, are also expected as humid air spreads into western areas, which can place additional stress on the body.
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An extraordinarily dry period
The lack of rain has piled pressure on farming, freight shipping and energy production, after the UK saw its driest July in 190 years.
Up to 27 million people find themselves under water-use restrictions and 1,017 wildfires have devastated vegetation across England and Wales so far this year, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.
Temperature records likely to be beaten
More long-standing temperature records are likely to be broken over the coming days.
- Wednesday became the first day in August to reach 35°C or more, making it the 4th consecutive month to reach this temperature.
- If temperatures reach 36°C or higher, 2026 will become the first year to record four separate days at or above that threshold.
- If temperatures reach 38°C today, there is a chance that the record for the hottest August day, which currently stands at 38.5°C, could be broken.
- Provided August temperatures remain average or above for the month, this summer will replace 2025 as the warmest on record.
The heatwave in pictures
Firefighters call for water bomb aircraft to tackle wildfires
Firefighters have called for “wildfire-fighting aircraft” to help combat spate of blazes as Britain braces for another heatwave, with temperatures set to rise above 35°C, possibly reaching 38°C.
Ofwat, the water regulator, had already given firms permission to charge their customers 36 per cent more for their services between 2025 and 2030.
Southern Water, whose customers face paying an extra £80 for the average bill by 2030, has lost up to 101.6 million litres a day to leaks, according to the latest official figures from the regulator.
One million of the company’s customers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are currently subject to a hosepipe ban due to drought conditions.
The Prime Minister criticised water companies on Thursday, saying customers “cannot be treated as a blank cheque” and warning that firms seeking to pass unnecessary costs on to households would be challenged.
“The truth is, customers have been asked to pay more for years, yet serious pollution incidents are at record levels and the pipes are still leaking,” he added.
Activists, including Amy Fairman, River Action’s head of campaigns, have branded the decision to approve further bill rises “an insult” to water customers.
“For 30 years, where was the investment in our crumbling water infrastructure? Tens of billions went to investors while essential water and sewage works were neglected. We got leaks, pollution and soaring bills,” she added.
How much is your water bill rising?
The below increases will come on top of the pre-planned rises of 36 per cent approved by Ofwat for the 2025 to 2030 period.
- : Average annual bills will be £80 higher by 2030.
- : Average annual bills will be £11 higher by 2030.
- : Average annual bills will be £8 higher by 2030.
- : Average annual bills will be £8 higher by 2030.
- : Average annual bills will be £1 higher by 2030.
Ofwat said the extra funding would help companies keep pace with rising demand from housebuilding and data centres, and address pollutants known as “forever chemicals”. Nearly a third of the money has been earmarked for maintaining water services, the regulator said. The decision is provisional with a final decision due in December.
The jump comes nearly two years after Ofwat gave water companies permission to hike bills by 36 per cent by 2030, with many households seeing an average rise of £123 last year. Bills have continued to increase this year, going up by 5.4 per cent on average, and adding around £33 to household costs.
Despite bills rising, water companies have been losing billions of litres of water a day to leaky pipes.
Thames Water lost the most to leaks, at 569.1 million litres a day, according to Ofwat’s most recent figures for 2024-2025.
A Thames Water spokesperson said leakage was now “15.1 per cent lower than our 2019-20 baseline”, adding that the improvement had been “delivered through sustained investment in our network, modernising our infrastructure, and using innovative technologies to identify and fix leaks”.
The company said it had replaced more than 100km of ageing clean water mains since April 2025 as part of its “biggest ever network upgrade”, and had committed to spend £3.3bn on tackling leakage between April 2025 and April 2030.
Severn Trent Water lost an estimated 335.1 million litres a day, its lowest figure on record. The company said it would replace 870 miles of water pipes as part of a £15bn investment package, as was using innovative technology alongside teams on the ground to find and fix leaks.
South East Water lost 104.8 million litres a day and Wessex Water 69.1 million litres.
A spokesperson for Southern Water said Ofwat’s decision “recognises that costs have risen as we work to deliver the improvements our customers want”.
“The additional funding reflects unavoidable increased costs and is needed if we’re to meet strict obligations to protect the environment and secure the long-term water supplies the population needs,” they added.
South East Water said: “Our priority remains delivering the critical infrastructure improvements needed to secure long-term water supplies, improve services for our customers and protect the environment, while keeping bills as affordable as possible.”
Robert Anthony-Scorse, the company’s head of leakage, said South East Water was “working flat out to reduce leakage across our network”, adding that it spends around £63m a year finding and fixing leaks and employs 400 staff on repairs.
Ofwat said it had rejected £752m of the £4.3bn in spending requests submitted, in some cases because companies had not delivered on previously funded work.
Helen Campbell, the regulator’s interim executive director, said: “We will track performance to ensure companies are delivering the expected improvements for customers and the environment. If they don’t, expenditure can be clawed back.”
Wessex Water was approached for comment.