Charlotte Cane MP on Water Bill Hike

Water bill hike: customers asked to “foot the bill” for Anglian Water failure 

Responding to the announcement that Anglian Water bills will rise by 7% in April 2026, Liberal Democrat MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, Charlotte Cane, said: 

“In 2024, Anglian Water allowed 43,919 sewage spills, polluting rivers and waterways across the East of England. 

“The Liberal Democrats have led the fight to protect our rivers and beaches, and we will continue pushing for tough, enforceable regulation so water companies can no longer profit while damaging the environment.” 

Charlotte Cane MP added: 

“People across my constituency are rightly angry. They are being told to pay higher bills while seeing raw sewage pumped into the rivers and waterways they care about. 

“This is the consequence of a broken system — one that rewards failure, allows chronic underinvestment, and then expects customers to pick up the tab. 

“Anglian Water’s owners should be fixing the damage and investing properly in infrastructure, not extracting profits and sending the bill to local families. 

“That’s why I’m calling for fundamental reform, including a move to mutual ownership, so money is reinvested locally and environmental protection comes before shareholder payouts.”