United Utilities’ half-year results show £335.7m in underlying operating profits for the first half of this year, up nearly 23% from £271.1m a year ago.
Profit before tax reached £140.6m, while profit after tax topped £103.1m for the six months to the end of September 2024. Revenue rose to more than £1.08bn from £975.4m in 2023.
But the firm has proposed bill hikes of 32% to the regulator Ofwat, which would make the firm’s bills among the most expensive in the country.
If Ofwat agrees to the proposals, the average annual bill for United Utilities customers would increase to £584 by 2030, up from £443 now.
Figures submitted to Ofwat last month show that water companies are looking to implement even higher bill increases than previously indicated. Water firms say they need to make bills even more expensive to fund investment in systems to stop sewage outflows, pay high fines, and comply with regulations.
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Ofwat will make its final decision for how much water bills can rise on 19 December. Its interim decision, made in July, said the average bill could rise £19 per year over five years (£94 in total), excluding inflation.
Two in five households will find it difficult to afford proposed water bill increases, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
