Water firms sent bailiffs to tens of thousands of homes for debts under £1,000

Tens of thousands of people a year have bailiffs sent to their homes by water companies in England and Wales, data shows.Many thousands of these visits by debt collectors were for sums worth under £1,000, according to the data released by the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee. Bailiffs are debt collectors instructed by a court, who can seize items from those in debt, including electrical items, jewellery or vehicles.It is a postcode lottery as to whether a water company would send a bailiff to a person’s home to recoup unpaid bills. While Wessex Water has not used bailiffs in 10 years, the water companies that made the most use of bailiffs in 2025 – adjusted for population – were South West Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water.In the financial year 2016-17, Yorkshire Water sent bailiffs to customers’ homes 405 times, but in 2024-25 there were 6,124 bailiff visits.There were also high peaks of overall usage by some companies. In 2022 Severn Trent instructed bailiffs 11,574 times, and in 2019 Southern Water instructed 15,707 bailiffs.The criteria for sending debt collectors to people’s homes varies between water companies. For example, Northumbrian Water told the committee it did not send bailiffs to homes where residents were known to be in receipt of means-tested benefits, whereas Southern Water said these customers were eligible for litigation. Severn Trent also does not perform checks on whether someone is in receipt of means-tested benefits before instructing a bailiff. Southern does have some limits on who it will pursue. It said that if a customer is suffering from dementia or a critical illness, they will not be pursued for a debt via litigation.The use of bailiffs by water companies that had been found to have broken the law themselves was unfair, the Labour MP John McDonnell said.He said: “Only five directors of water companies have been prosecuted in the last 30 years. Contrast that with the thousands of mainly poor people the water companies set the bailiffs on each year.“The system is more interested in prosecuting families that are struggling to pay their water bills than the company directors responsible for polluting our rivers and seas while lining their pockets from profiteering at the expense of both their customers and our environment.”Some companies told the committee they were trying to focus the use of bailiffs only on those who could afford to pay their bills but chose not to.Water companies themselves are in a vast amount of debt, which critics have said has made it impossible for them to properly invest in infrastructure. Water companies in England and Wales are now in more than £80bn of debt. The companies are also liable for £200m of environmental fines for actions such as illegal sewage spills.The Efra committee chair, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: “It is interesting and concerning to see the extent of their use of bailiffs over time and to see such differing approaches. The figures 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. We would urge any company to review its practices and ensure they are as sparing and compassionate as possible. We have referred this information to Citizens Advice and the Consumer Council for Water for further scrutiny.”A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “Our focus for any customer entering arrears is to assess vulnerability and provide support where necessary, through early engagement, financial support schemes, clear communications and signposting to external assistance with financial issues. Enforcement action is a last resort and is only taken against customers who we determine, using internal data and external credit agencies, have the ability to pay their bill but are choosing not to.”A Southern Water spokesperson said: “We work hard to ensure customers who are struggling get the support they need, such as our social tariff schemes. We’re delivering our biggest ever investment plan, spending around £8.5bn to meet the expectations of our customers in protecting the environment and improving services.”A South West Water spokesperson said: “We only ever use enforcement action as a last resort. Our priority is always to support customers who are struggling, and we offer a wide range of financial support.”Severn Trent has been contacted for comment.