Wholesale price increases in England for 2026/27
This page provides more information on the wholesale price increases for non-household customers in England which will apply for 2026/27. We wrote to you between January and March 2026 to confirm the specific price increases for your area.
Important information
In England, the annual wholesale price increases for water and waste water charges, which will come into effect from 1 April 2026, are based on Ofwat’s published price controls (PR24) covering the five year period from 2025 to 2030 and the regional wholesalers’ charges for 2026/27.
In December 2024, Ofwat published their final determinations of charges for each wholesaler region in England. The determinations included provision for £104billion of investment to support the delivery of better outcomes for customers and the environment, including improved service, reduced pollution and improved resilience to climate change and population growth. As a result, price increases are significantly higher over this price control period in comparison to previous years, with an average price increase of 42% before inflation over the period from 2025-30.
During 2025, we have raised concerns with Ofwat about the scale of the increases and the impact this will have on affordability for our customers. In response, we have been assured that the scale of charge increases has been robustly challenged and that the increases have been phased to minimise the overall impact on customer charges over the five-year period.
To view a copy of Ofwat’s final determinations, click here.
What does this mean for you and your business?
Water wholesalers in England published their 2026/27 wholesale charges for business customers in mid-January 2026. You’ll see the changes to your charges reflected in your next bill.
Wholesale charges at-a-glance
The wholesale charge in each region is the same for all water retailers and is determined by the wholesaler, i.e. the regional water company. The revenue from these charges is used to manage and maintain the water and sewerage infrastructure used to supply your services. In England, these wholesale charges are capped in line with Ofwat’s price controls.
You can view the wholesale charge percentage increase for your region, split by measured and unmeasured, in the tables linked below on this page. You can also view the price increase document for your area by clicking the relevant link provided.
Retail charges
The retail charge is a small uplift which is added to the wholesale charge to cover the services we provide, like billing, meter reading, account management and customer support.
We wrote to you between January and March 2026 to provide you with information about your wholesale and retail charges.
Price Review 2024 article
To help you understand more about the wholesale price increases, we’ve recently published an article which you may find helpful to read. Please click the button below.
Ofwat’s final determinations | Central Market Agency (CMA) re-determinations
Annual price increases are set within the parameters of Ofwat’s price controls. In December 2024, Ofwat published their final determinations, which confirmed an average price increase of 42% before inflation over the five-year period from 2025-30. Five wholesalers appealed for higher increases in response to this and their cases were referred to the Central Market Agency (CMA) for re-determination.
The CMA has recently published their draft re-determinations, indicating that prices may increase by another 3% on average across the PR24 period with a range of 1% to 5%. These re-determinations were subject to consultation and the final versions will be published in March 2026, in which case these increases won’t impact your charges until 2027/28 for the impacted regions. We’ll let you know as we receive updates on this change. You can read more in an article we published .
We’re here to help
We recognise that the wholesale price increases in some regions remain high and that these increases come at a time when many businesses are already facing increased cost pressures. We’re committed to doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our customers.
Please visit our Customer Support page to view a range of support options we can offer you. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to us, please get in touch with your dedicated Account Manager if you have one, or contact us here and one of our friendly advisers will be happy to help.
More useful information
Click on ‘blogs’ below to find more useful information or subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Naturally Speaking, to read more about the expected increases and key changes in specific regions of England.
Your wholesale price increases for 2026/27
Click the buttons below to view the charge change percentages for 2026/27 measured and unmeasured wholesale prices in England.
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