13th Report - Regulation of water, energy and broadband

Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee HC 105 11 September 2026
Report Status Response status not verified Recorded deadline: 11 Nov 2026

Missing links do not establish that no response was published. A linked document does not verify responses to individual findings.

Conclusions & Recommendations 30 items (3 recs)
Source View on Parliament website

No response data available yet.

Recommendations & Conclusions

30 results
1 Recommendation
Awareness and take-up of social tariffs is low, meaning millions of eligible customers are missing...
Recommendation
Awareness and take-up of social tariffs is low, meaning millions of eligible customers are missing out on financial support. Ofwat and Ofcom have encouraged companies in water and broadband respectively to offer social tariffs to customers on lower incomes. Take-up … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
2 Recommendation
The current system relies too heavily on customers in vulnerable circumstances being willing and able...
Recommendation
The current system relies too heavily on customers in vulnerable circumstances being willing and able to repeat personal information to multiple companies. In energy and water, companies maintain the 3 Priority Services Register (PSR) to provide support to customers with … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
3 Conclusion
Regulators have not done enough to ensure companies communicate proactively and clearly with all customers,...
Conclusion
Regulators have not done enough to ensure companies communicate proactively and clearly with all customers, and to make it easy for customers to contact them. How companies communicate is as important as the information they provide. It is easy for … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
4 Conclusion
Customers in similar circumstances can receive different levels of support from their service provider.
Conclusion
Customers in similar circumstances can receive different levels of support from their service provider. Each regulator has its own definition of vulnerability, including financial vulnerability. In water, Ofwat requires all water companies to offer social tariffs to low-income households, whereas … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
5 Conclusion
Despite energy debt rising, and bills increasing, the regulators do not have a comprehensive view...
Conclusion
Despite energy debt rising, and bills increasing, the regulators do not have a comprehensive view of the debt owed by an individual across the three sectors. Debt is now a substantial problem. By March 2025, customers’ debt to energy supply … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
6 Recommendation
There are gaps in the broader consumer protection landscape in water and broadband.
Recommendation
There are gaps in the broader consumer protection landscape in water and broadband. In the water sector, there is currently no statutorily approved ombudsman in the manner of the other regulated sectors. The Consumer Council for Water recently stopped carrying … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
7 Conclusion
Social tariffs, for water and broadband, provide services at a discounted price for consumers on...
Conclusion
Social tariffs, for water and broadband, provide services at a discounted price for consumers on lower incomes.7 Take-up of social tariffs has increased, but remains very low.8 Only 6% of water customers in England and Wales, and fewer than 9% … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
8 Conclusion
In water, government policy requires water companies to offer social tariffs to lower-income customers, whereas...
Conclusion
In water, government policy requires water companies to offer social tariffs to lower-income customers, whereas there is no social tariff policy in broadband; Citizens Advice and Martin Lewis told us that for broadband companies, provision is essentially voluntary.12 In both … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
9 Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that the lack of standardisation of social tariffs across providers creates...
Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that the lack of standardisation of social tariffs across providers creates confusion among consumers, and makes it difficult to communicate clear messages to consumers about the availability and benefits of social tariffs.19 Customers must opt-in to … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
10 Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that differing social tariff levels also make it difficult for consumers...
Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that differing social tariff levels also make it difficult for consumers in financially vulnerable circumstances to compare companies’ offers and identify the best deals for themselves.25 Social tariffs are not always visible on Ofcom-accredited price comparison … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
11 Conclusion
In the energy and water sectors, companies maintain the Priority Services Register (PSR) to provide...
Conclusion
In the energy and water sectors, companies maintain the Priority Services Register (PSR) to provide support to customers with additional communication, safety and access needs.28 Ofgem and Ofwat have encouraged companies in their sectors to increase take-up of the PSR … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
12 Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that, as with social tariffs, the system places the burden on...
Conclusion
Martin Lewis told us that, as with social tariffs, the system places the burden on people in vulnerable circumstances to declare those circumstances to companies and to ask for support.33 CCW told us that, for those consumers who are aware, … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
13 Conclusion
For those consumers who are aware that support is available through the PSR, there is...
Conclusion
For those consumers who are aware that support is available through the PSR, there is confusion about what that support is. CCW research indicates that, during supply interruptions in Tunbridge Wells around Christmas 2025, half of the people on the … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
14 Conclusion
There are no PSR arrangements in telecoms.
Conclusion
There are no PSR arrangements in telecoms. Instead, Ofcom requires companies to give consideration to services for people in vulnerable circumstances, and to register customers based on needs.39 In 2024, the overall satisfaction for customers with a limiting condition was … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
15 Conclusion
The National Audit Office (NAO) found that, although each regulator sets rules and expectations regarding...
Conclusion
The National Audit Office (NAO) found that, although each regulator sets rules and expectations regarding how companies communicate with customers, many customers still find it difficult to contact the company supplying them. For example, in 2024 only 64% of broadband … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
16 Conclusion
The way that companies communicate with customers is often as important as the information that...
Conclusion
The way that companies communicate with customers is often as important as the information that is provided. For example, Martin Lewis told us that, although adding information on customers’ bills 37 Q 29 38 Q 21 39 Q 95; C&AG’s … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
17 Conclusion
Increasing use of digital communication can leave behind people in vulnerable circumstances, including older people...
Conclusion
Increasing use of digital communication can leave behind people in vulnerable circumstances, including older people and those with disabilities of mental and physical health, who need or prefer alternative communication channels.45 Citizens Advice told the committee that companies increasingly using … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
18 Conclusion
It is only very recently that the regulators have taken enforcement action against, or issued...
Conclusion
It is only very recently that the regulators have taken enforcement action against, or issued penalties to companies for, poor communication with customers. We asked the regulators what action they had taken to improve customers’ experience of communicating with their … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
19 Conclusion
Defining vulnerable circumstances is complex, but essential to ensuring that people needing support are identified...
Conclusion
Defining vulnerable circumstances is complex, but essential to ensuring that people needing support are identified and that support is tailored to their specific needs. People can move in and out of vulnerabilities on a temporary basis, for example becoming financially … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
20 Conclusion
Each regulator has its own definition of vulnerability, including financial vulnerability.56 Martin Lewis told us...
Conclusion
Each regulator has its own definition of vulnerability, including financial vulnerability.56 Martin Lewis told us that regulators could be doing more to define who should and shouldn’t be protected in such circumstances.57 For example, in markets with competition, regulators promote … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
21 Conclusion
There are inconsistencies in the eligibility criteria for supporting consumers in vulnerable circumstances.
Conclusion
There are inconsistencies in the eligibility criteria for supporting consumers in vulnerable circumstances. In water, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) issues guidance setting the framework within which all water companies offer social tariffs to low-income households.59 … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
22 Conclusion
The National Audit Office (NAO) report found that consumers in otherwise similar vulnerable circumstances can...
Conclusion
The National Audit Office (NAO) report found that consumers in otherwise similar vulnerable circumstances can experience very different outcomes depending on who their provider is. While the average social tariff discount amounted to 55% of average household water bills in … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
23 Conclusion
Debt owed by consumers to utility companies is now a substantial problem.
Conclusion
Debt owed by consumers to utility companies is now a substantial problem. The NAO report found that, by March 2025, customers’ debt to energy supply companies and water companies totalled £7.2 billion. In energy, customer debt to energy supply companies … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
24 Conclusion
We asked the regulators what they were doing to address rising debt.
Conclusion
We asked the regulators what they were doing to address rising debt. Ofgem told us that it has worked with Government on a debt-relief scheme to write off a portion of the energy debt accumulated during the energy crisis when … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
25 Conclusion
Written evidence to the committee from Money Wellness highlights that when people are starting to...
Conclusion
Written evidence to the committee from Money Wellness highlights that when people are starting to struggle financially, early identification of problems and intervention, including making people aware of support available to them, can be key to preventing debts occurring or … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
26 Conclusion
For consumers struggling to pay their bills, affordability challenges relating to paying for these essential...
Conclusion
For consumers struggling to pay their bills, affordability challenges relating to paying for these essential services and other household spending categories are inter-connected. Ofgem-commissioned research into the causes of energy debt indicates that some customers may in principle be able … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
27 Conclusion
There are currently no arrangements in place for sharing of information about an individual customer’s...
Conclusion
There are currently no arrangements in place for sharing of information about an individual customer’s financial circumstances or receipt of social tariffs, between companies, regulators, government or other organisations. This means that it can be challenging to identify customers who … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
28 Conclusion
In the water sector, there is currently no statutorily approved ombudsman in the manner of...
Conclusion
In the water sector, there is currently no statutorily approved ombudsman in the manner of the other regulated sectors.79 In written correspondence received after our evidence session, Ofwat told us that the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) carries out some … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
29 Conclusion
In its White Paper responding to the Independent Water Commission review of the water sector...
Conclusion
In its White Paper responding to the Independent Water Commission review of the water sector chaired by Sir John Cunliffe, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has committed to establishing an independent ombudsman.81 In written correspondence, Ofwat … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details
30 Conclusion
Broadband services play an important role in allowing citizens to participate actively in the modern...
Conclusion
Broadband services play an important role in allowing citizens to participate actively in the modern economy.83 In the telecoms sector, there is no organisation with statutory responsibility for providing free independent advice to consumers, when this does exist for energy … Read more
HM Treasury
View Details