MPs say vulnerable customers are being let down by water, energy and broadband suppliers

A committee of MPs has found that the regulators responsible for water, energy and broadband aren't doing enough to protect customers in difficulty, and that support designed to help people on low incomes is reaching only a fraction of those who qualify.

The Public Accounts Committee published its report following an inquiry into how Ofwat, Ofgem and Ofcom look after consumers in vulnerable circumstances.

We submitted evidence to the inquiry, and much of what the Committee has recommended matches what we've been calling for.

What did the report find?

Consumer debt to energy and water companies reached £7.2bn in March 2025, and with bills expected to rise further, the Committee expects that figure to grow.

Take-up of the cheaper tariffs meant to help people on low incomes is low across all three sectors. Just 6% of water customers in England and Wales are on a social tariff. Fewer than 9% of eligible broadband customers have one. And only 13% of households have signed up to priority services support, despite the Committee estimating that around half of households could be eligible.

The report is blunt about why. People don't know these schemes exist, the language used to describe them is confusing, and working out whether you qualify is harder than it should be.

The Committee also found that people are being asked to explain their circumstances again and again to different companies, which many find difficult and upsetting. The growing use of AI chatbots is making it harder still to reach someone who can actually help.

And no regulator currently has a full picture of what a household owes across water, energy and broadband together. Someone behind on all three looks like three separate problems rather than one household in difficulty.

What has the Committee recommended?

The headline recommendation is a 'tell us once' system covering water, energy, broadband and telecoms, so that someone who explains their situation once doesn't have to repeat it to every supplier. The Committee wants this in place by September 2028.

It has also asked for:

• Ofcom and Ofwat to review how social tariffs are advertised and explained, including whether the language is accessible, within six months
• more consistent definitions of vulnerability across the three sectors, so people in the same situation aren't treated differently depending on which company they're dealing with
• suppliers to identify customers who may need help rather than waiting for them to ask
• discounted tariffs to become the default for the most financially vulnerable customers
• a statutory water ombudsman, and a body providing free independent advice for telecoms customers
• regulators to explain when they'll use their enforcement powers more forcefully to improve how suppliers communicate

What we said in our evidence

Our submission made many of the same points, because they're the ones we see playing out every day.

The households who come to us are rarely behind on just one bill. They're behind on water and energy and broadband at the same time, and each sector asks them to start from scratch. Having to explain a bereavement, a diagnosis or a job loss three times over is exactly the thing that stops people asking for help at all.

We also argued for suppliers to spot people who are struggling earlier, rather than relying on someone in difficulty to put their hand up, and for greater consistency in who qualifies for social tariffs and how they're delivered. Early support, before arrears build and options narrow, costs far less than dealing with the consequences later.

What can you do now?

None of these changes will happen quickly, so it's worth taking a few steps yourself in the meantime.

Ask every supplier what support they offer. Water, energy, broadband and mobile companies all have schemes for people on low incomes or in difficulty, and most won't mention them unless you ask. That includes social tariffs, hardship funds and payment plans you can actually afford.

Sign up to the Priority Services Register. It's free, it isn't means-tested, and it covers people of pension age, anyone with a long-term health condition or disability, and households with young children. Energy and water companies both run one. You have to register with each separately for now, which is exactly the problem the Committee wants fixed.

Don't cancel anything before you've checked. If you're behind on broadband, a social tariff will almost always be cheaper than cutting the service off, and losing your connection makes managing everything else harder.

Check what you're entitled to. People often qualify for benefits, council tax reduction or other support without realising, and that's usually worth far more than anything you'll save by cutting back.

If your bills add up to more than your income however you arrange them, that isn't something to manage alone. Get in touch - we can help.