Watchdogs have been urged to investigate the use of bailiffs by water firms after thousands of hard-up families were plagued by debt collectors. MPs are now examining the scale of the problem after new evidence showed bailiffs have been sent to homes tens of thousands of times since 2019. The figures were uncovered by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA), which wrote to 11 major water and sewerage companies in England and Wales demanding detailed information about their debt-recovery practices. The findings show the use of bailiffs rose in 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic: from 15,000 cases in 2020 to 35,000 cases in 2024. The data submitted to MPs shows bailiffs are used widely across the industry to collect unpaid water charges. The investigation comes amid rising concern families already struggling with the cost of living could be pushed further into hardship by aggressive debt collection. Some companies admitted they send bailiffs to homes more than 6,000 times a year. Across the sector, most companies reported between 500 and 4,500 bailiff enforcements in the most recent year. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Although enforcement dipped slightly last year, the figures show bailiffs remain a regular part of debt recovery across the water industry. EFRA’s chair, Alistair Carmichael, demanded answers from water companies about how they pursue customers who fall behind on their bills and said it was “concerning” to see the “extent of the use of bailiffs over time". He said: “(It's) concerning to see the extent of their use of bailiffs over time and to see such differing approaches. The figures should be seen in the context of various cost-of-living shocks that have hit households over recent years. For any family or individual to be subject to legal action is no small matter and can be a cause of severe stress and anxiety. We would urge any company to review its practices and ensure they are as sparing and compassionate as possible.” And he said questions need to be raised, adding: “There are other findings that rouse curiosity. Why did bailiff use increase so rapidly after the pandemic? We have referred this information to Citizens Advice and the Consumer Council for Water for further scrutiny.” In most cases, bailiffs are High Court Enforcement Officers or County Court bailiffs who have the power to visit homes and seize goods to recover debts. Campaigners say the scale of enforcement raises serious questions about whether struggling households are being treated fairly. Mr Carmichael took aim at some of the water industries' leading figures, saying they often act like hedge fund managers as opposed to service providers. He told GB News: “All too often water companies think of customers as an afterthought and behave like hedge fund managers instead of a utility company providing a public service. "The fact that an industry that is notorious for high levels of executive pay and bonuses is sending bailiffs to enforce debts from customers, many of whom may well be on the breadline tells you the story of English water companies and how they do their business in 2026. "The other concern is that there is a big difference between the different companies in the way they use bailiffs. Someone struggling with debt in one part of the country may receive sympathetic treatment compared to someone in another part of the country who will be hammered. These figures would suggest there must be either some people who are being pursued who should not and some people who are not being pursued when they should.” Unlike gas or electricity companies, water firms cannot cut off supply when bills go unpaid. That means debts can build up for months or even years before companies pursue recovery through the courts. Critics say sending bailiffs after households for an essential service such as water risks pushing already vulnerable families deeper into financial distress. The issue has already surfaced in several widely reported disputes. In one case a 78-year-old widowed farmer, Arthur Alsop, was threatened with bailiffs over a disputed water bill of about £2,000 after charges were added following a billing change. The Warwickshire livestock farmer refused to pay bills he believes he should not have received and has twice been threatened with bailiff visits to collect debts. He said: “They just kept adding the charges to my bill, so I stopped paying any bills at all, thinking it would make them sit up and take notice. All this aggro at 78 years old is not good for my health or mind,” he said after receiving a warning letter threatening him with bailiffs to recover the debt." 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Water companies insist bailiffs are only used after long attempts to contact customers and arrange payment plans. In written evidence to MPs, companies stressed enforcement is aimed at people who refuse to engage despite repeated contact. One company said enforcement is used against “the tiny minority of customers who neither pay their bills nor, despite extensive efforts on our part, engage with us". Another said vulnerable customers are protected from enforcement. It told MPs: “We will never ‘send in the bailiffs’ to a customer in debt that we know is vulnerable or is attempting to make repayments". Companies also say they try to identify financial hardship before taking legal action. One provider told the Committee: “Debt recovery is a last resort, and all cases are rigorously tested to identify any vulnerabilities, with any enforcement halted if they are.” Another company said strict rules govern the use of enforcement agents, stating: “We work only with accredited external partners. All enforcement agents used by our organisation are accredited and are held to account through the Enforcement Conduct Board.” The same company added: “We have robust vulnerability processes both internally and with the suppliers we use.” However, the industry admitted it can be difficult to identify struggling households because companies rely on customers to disclose their circumstances. One firm acknowledged it does not systematically collect information on whether customers facing enforcement are receiving benefits, although it believes the proportion is “likely to be less than one-third.” The revelations come as Britain’s water industry faces mounting criticism over rising bills, sewage pollution and executive pay. South East Water faces a £22million fine for what regulators have described as “significant failures” in its service, while South West Water admitted wrongdoing over a Devon parasite outbreak. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter