The water companies using bailiffs to collect customer debt more than 6,000 times a year
The Water Companies Using Bailiffs to Collect Customer Debt More Than 6,000 Times a Year
New data shows that certain water providers have enlisted bailiffs to collect unpaid bills over 6,000 times annually, according to a recent report. This figure reflects the number of enforcement actions taken by companies to recover debts from customers, highlighting significant differences in how each operator approaches debt collection.
The information was uncovered by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee and has not been publicly accessible until now. Committee members noted that some companies, such as Wessex Water, have not utilized bailiffs at all in the past ten years, while others, like Welsh Water, have relied on the tactic less than 1,000 times each year since 2019.
Southern Water stands out as the most frequent user of bailiffs, with 15,707 actions recorded in 2019, followed by over 6,000 in 2020, and more than 5,000 in 2023. The use of bailiffs surged again in 2024, reaching over 8,000 instances, and dropped slightly to more than 4,000 in 2025. Yorkshire Water and United Utilities also reported high numbers, with both exceeding 6,000 bailiff interventions annually since 2021 and 2024, respectively.
Industry-Wide Trends and Context
The Efra Committee’s findings indicate that the highest use of bailiffs in 2025 occurred among South West Water/Pennon, Southern Water, and Yorkshire Water when adjusted for population size. Most of the 11 English and Welsh water and wastewater companies fell between 500 and 4,500 enforcement actions in the 2024-2025 period.
Bailiffs are typically deployed after a court order is issued by a water company. However, customers on the Priority Services Register or those identified as ill, disabled, or elderly are often exempt from such actions. Despite this, some firms, including Northumbrian Water, stated they avoid using bailiffs for individuals receiving means-tested benefits. Southern Water, on the other hand, confirmed that customers in financial difficulty may still be subject to legal proceedings.
“It is concerning to see the extent of their use of bailiffs,” said Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the Efra Committee. “The data should be seen in the context of various cost-of-living shocks that have hit households over recent years. For any family or individual to be subject to legal action is no small matter and can be a cause of severe stress and anxiety.”
Carmichael called for companies to review their practices, emphasizing the need for more compassionate and sparing use of bailiffs. The Council for Water has pledged to investigate the committee’s findings, with Andy White, the council’s senior leader for social policy, stating: “The use of bailiffs should be an absolute last resort and only in instances where a water company can clearly evidence a customer is persistently and deliberately not paying their bill.”
Company Responses and Perspectives
Yorkshire Water defended its approach, asserting that enforcement actions are only taken against customers who have “the ability to pay their bill but are choosing not to.” United Utilities added that it initiates court proceedings only against those “believed to have the financial resources to pay their bill.”
Southern Water highlighted its efforts to support customers in hardship, stating it “works hard to give customers who are struggling the support they need” while relying on bill payments to fund service improvements. South West Water clarified that the Efra figures include non-visit measures like payment plans, not actual bailiff visits, and reiterated that enforcement is reserved as a last resort.
Severn Trent noted that its bailiff activity in 2022 totaled 11,574 actions, with over 7,000 interventions recorded in 2023. The committee observed that bailiff use peaked in 2023 and 2024, following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising questions about the factors driving this increase.
