[holding answer 10 September 2007]: Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, collects data on the number of households receiving assistance under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations, which are set out in the water companies’ annual June returns.
The vulnerable groups tariff, under the Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999, applies to metered customers who meet certain criteria to protect them from paying large water bills.
The numbers of households in England granted assistance with their water bills in 2004-05 and 2005-06 by individual water, and water and sewerage companies are set out in the following table.
2004-05 2005-06 Water and sewerage companies Anglian 682 719 Dwr Cymru 319 426 Northumbrian (North East and Essex and Suffolk) 483 672 Severn Trent 916 1,223 South West 1,645 2,962 Southern 258 324 Thames 1,323 1,780 United Utilities 1,114 1,447 Wessex 481 622 Yorkshire 1,059 1,308 Water only companies Bournemouth and W Hampshire 118 96 Bristol 211 391 Cambridge 81 97 Dee Valley 10 16 Folkestone and Dover 33 42 Mid Kent 138 103 Portsmouth 24 30 South East 91 114 South Staffordshire 39 139 Sutton and East Surrey 38 64 Tendring Hundred 313 328 Three Valleys 251 284 Industry 9,627 13,187