Conclusion 22

The National Audit Office (NAO) report found that consumers in otherwise similar vulnerable circumstances can experience very different outcomes depending on who their provider is. While the average social tariff discount amounted to 55% of average household water bills in 2024–25, there is considerable variation around that average. The extent to which water customers on social tariffs saw their bills cut ranged from £27 to £314 per household, depending on their water company.63 More generally, consumers in vulnerable circumstances encounter mixed experiences compared with consumers as a whole. Consumers in financially vulnerable circumstances report lower-than-average consumer satisfaction, while consumers recorded on energy supply companies’ PSRs report higher satisfaction than customers not on the register.64 Understanding vulnerable circumstances across sectors