Thames Water is the most complained about water company
That's the finding of an annual report by the Consumer Council for Water.
An annual report has revealed household complaints to water firms have spiked over sewage spills, billing mistakes and problems with water meters - with Thames Water the most complained about company.
The number of complaints escalated to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) by households in England and Wales who failed to achieve a resolution from their supplier rose by almost a third (29%) in 2023-24 - its highest level for nearly a decade, the watchdog said.
CCW's annual report shows that customers made a total of 222,956 complaints directly to water companies in England and Wales.
CCW rated Thames Water and Yorkshire Water, which are both water and wastewater companies, as "poor" - its lowest category - for both total complaints and the way complaints were handled.
Thames Water was the worst performer overall, with customers making more complaints directly to the company, as well as to CCW, than any other supplier.
CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: "Households are having to waste far too much time and energy resolving complaints, which water companies should be getting right first time. Trust in the water sector is already badly fractured and the poor handling of complaints will only compound people's frustration.
"We're particularly concerned to see a significant rise in complaints from customers with water meters who are questioning the accuracy of their bill.
"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."
David Bird, retail director at Thames Water, said: "We are committed to improving the experience of our customers and have been working closely alongside CCW to address these issues. CCW have recognised the collaborative approach we have taken and that the improvements we are making are showing promise. However, we recognise we have more to do.
"Our turnaround plan is focused on resolving customer complaints and improving the quality of their interaction with our business, from first contact through to resolution.