Water PR24 price redeterminations

Ofwat has referred its 2024 price reviews (PR24) for 5 water companies to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for redetermination.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 19 March 2025
• Last updated: 25 March 2025 — See all updates

• Case type: Regulatory references and appeals
• Case state: Open
• Market sector: Utilities
• Opened: 18 March 2025

Call for third party submissions

25 March 2025: The CMA is inviting submissions from third parties on the issues raised in the 5 Ofwat references and statements of case of the 5 disputing companies, and any other issues that the CMA should consider as part of its redeterminations.

The deadline for these submissions is 5:30pm on Tuesday 22 April 2025. The CMA reserves the right to reject third party submissions made after the deadline.

Please send submissions to waterPR24references@cma.gov.uk

Any further invitations for third party submissions and updates on the redetermination process will be published on this case page.

Disputing Companies’ statements of case

The Disputing Companies submitted their statements of case, setting out their arguments and evidence, to the CMA on 21 March 2025. We have published the non-sensitive versions of their main submission documents:

• Anglian Water: statement of case (PDF, 8.0MB) (25.3.25)
• Northumbrian Water: statement of case (5.6MB) (25.3.25)
• South East Water: statement of case (2.6MB) (25.3.25)
• Southern Water: statement of case (PDF, 8.9MB) (25.3.25)
• Wessex Water: statement of case (PDF, 4.6MB) (25.3.25)

Special reference group appointed

18 March 2025: the CMA has appointed a special reference group.

• Kirstin Baker (Chair)
• Ashleye Gunn
• Juliet Lazarus
• Paul Muysert
• David Thomas

References from Ofwat

On 19 December 2024, Ofwat published its final determinations on the price review, which includes controls that limit what water companies can charge their customers in England and Wales for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030.

6 water companies rejected Ofwat’s final determinations and asked Ofwat to refer them to the CMA for a redetermination. On 18 March 2025, Ofwat made 5 references to the CMA.

The references received from Ofwat are:

• Anglian Water: notice of reference (PDF, 1.1MB) (19.3.25)
• Northumbrian Water: notice of reference (PDF, 2.2MB) (19.3.25)
• South East Water: notice of reference (PDF, 955KB) (19.3.25)
• Southern Water: notice of reference (PDF, 3.7MB) (19.3.25)
• Wessex Water: notice of reference (PDF, 2.3MB) (19.3.25)

A timetable will be drawn up as soon as practicable following the appointment of the special reference group. Information on the timing and arrangements for submissions by third parties will also be published in due course. The references from Ofwat specify a 6-month timeframe for the CMA to produce its report on the references. This can be extended by Ofwat by up to a further 6 months following a request by the CMA where Ofwat is satisfied that there are special reasons to do so.

Further information

On 19 February 2025, following notification that Ofwat had been asked to refer disputed final determinations to the CMA, we published a blog post that explains our role.

Contacts

Any queries or submissions relating to this matter should be sent to: waterPR24references@cma.gov.uk

Any media enquiries should be directed to a member of our Press Office: press@cma.gov.uk

Personal data

The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its investigations. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, please see the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.

Published 19 March 2025

Last updated 25 March 2025 + show all updates

1. 25 March 2025

   Disputing Companies’ statements of case, and call for third party submissions published.

2. 19 March 2025

   First published.