Ministers will seize an unprecedented say over water bills as Angela Eagle vows to end 'business as usual'

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 October 2026.

Water firms were cleared in 2024 to raise bills by an average of £157, or 36 per cent, over five years. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle has now written to Ofwat and water bosses, calling the sector 'a symbol of everything that went wrong'. No minister has ever stepped into the regulator's price review, which sets bills for 2030-35. Her letter stops short of demanding cuts.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants to repeal Margaret Thatcher's ban on public ownership of water.

Eagle will rule within days on hosepipe-style bans sought by South West Water and South East Water.

Swimming pools, car washing and watering on business premises could all be restricted.