Decision on hiking water bills to £666 in Greater Manchester delayed until after election

The much-anticipated review of potential water bill increases in the coming years has been delayed, like the rest of politics, until after the general election. Ofwat, the water regulator, has postponed its consultation on draft pricing decisions for the sector until July 11.

Industry monopolies are demanding the power to massively increase water bills, some by as much as 91 per cent, in order to pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades. The decision on funding was originally scheduled for June 12, but following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's call for a July 4 election, it will now be delayed.

The consultation will see Ofwat deliver its initial verdict on water companies' business plans up to the end of the decade, a process it undertakes every five years. Depending on the outcome, water bills could rise by more than a third to an average £666 per year, if United Utilities' demands are met.

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The future of Thames Water, Britain's largest water firm, could also depend on this decision. Thames is facing possible nationalisation after investors reneged on a promise to provide additional funding, leaving the company's finances precarious.

Thames, which has an approximate debt pile of £15 billion and is embroiled in a scandal over water pollution, has requested Ofwat to permit a 44 per cent average increase in customer bills over the next five years. This is to facilitate investment in infrastructure and balance their books.

However, in the decades since privatisation, water companies have extracted billions of pounds from households through water bills, paid either as dividends to shareholders or as large seven-figure salaries to