Water companies ‘need single social tariff in England and Wales’

Industry sources said the government had cooled on the idea of a single social tariff. Photograph: Catherine Falls/Getty

Ministers and under-fire water companies are facing renewed pressure to introduce a single social tariff to support vulnerable households as struggling consumers face an “unfair postcode lottery” when paying their bills.

At present, water companies in England and Wales all offer their own social tariffs, which provide discounts to hard-up consumers. However, some schemes are far more generous than others.