The regulator said the performance of firms last year had been 'disappointing' and that money alone was not enough to address the problems facing the industry.
Water firms in England and Wales have been ordered to return £157.6m to customers due to their poor performance. Ofwat said the money would come off bills for households and businesses in 2025-26, with the total rebates set to be calculated in December. Last year, the water regulator ordered firms to repay £114m as part of a similar move.
Matthew Topham from We Own It, which is campaigning for the nationalisation of the water industry, said: 'Today's action, while a welcome respite from skyrocketing bills, exposes the Catch-22 at the heart of water privatisation. 'Water firms, which desperately need cash to stay afloat, let alone invest to end sewage pollution, will rightly hand back millions they've unfairly taken from the public.
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