Speaking at Unison’s water, environment and transport conference at the weekend, shadow water minister Angela Smith said “new ways” were needed to support those who cannot pay and to pursue those who will not pay.
She stated: “We are calling for a national affordability scheme and we want to engage with consumers, the industry and you as workers on what should be in that scheme.”
Smith added: “What we’ve got to do is put all out efforts into reforming the industry to ensure that it works in the interests of the people that actually pay the bills.
“At the moment, water supply is a private monopoly and we cannot change suppliers.”
Labour had pushed for an amendment to the Water Bill as it was progressing through parliament for a national affordability scheme to be added to the bill, but the amendment was voted down.
Smith also ruled out renationalisation of the water sector and said this would “put millions and millions of pounds in the pockets of water company shareholders”.