will rise more than the £100 originally proposed by suppliers in a major blow to struggling Brits.

In a proposal published earlier this year, water regulator Ofwat said bills could rise by £94 over the next five years - this equates to £19 a year - to help "fund higher costs and investment" in the sector. However, reports that the hike could be even higher. The water regulator is currently deciding how much customer bills will be allowed to rise, and at the moment, it is unclear how much this could potentially be. The reports this figure will be offiially confirmed towards the end of the year.

In July, Ofwat agreed to allow water bills to rise by 21% on average between 2025 and 2030. However, the amount bills could rise did vary from company to company. The biggest rise would be seen by customers who were set to see a 44% increase to their water bills over the next five years. The lowest rise was for Affinity Water customers with a rise of 6%.

Thames Water, the UK's largest water company, was given the go-ahead to raise bills by 23%. Although amid ongoing financial troubles at the firm, it said bills needed to rise by 59% in order to keep operating as normal. It is understood that Ofwat is allowing the bigger increases in bills to reflect the higher financing costs for water suppliers.

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Water suppliers have made headlines over the last few years due to the level of raw sewage they are pumping into the UK's waterways. At the same time, bills have been hiked. Investors have also been condemned for the dividends and executive pay they have received. Earlier this month, the regulator ordered water companies to return £ 158million to customers in bills after all 17 firms missed their targets to reduce pollution, leaks, and supply interruptions.

This week, the BBC reports that Labour will announce a new independent commission that will advise the government on a "proper reset" of the industry to improve performance and attract new investment. The commission's review will receive input from major UK stakeholders including customers, environmental bodies, investors and engineers. The government is also set to announce plans for the "biggest overhaul" of the water industry since its privatisation.

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