Affinity Water

Water company Products & services: Water and wastewater services.

Updated: 3 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Water supply (water-only utility)
Parent company: Daiwater Investment Limited (Allianz / HICL-InfraRed / DIF consortium)
Regulator: Ofwat (economic); Drinking Water Inspectorate (water quality); Environment Agency (environment)
Ombudsman: Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (via the Consumer Council for Water)
Customers: Around 3.8 million people (approx. 1.52 million household connections)
Founded: 2012
Legal entity: Affinity Water Limited (Companies House no. 02546950)

What customers complain about

Customers most often complain to Affinity Water about billing and charges, which made up around 72% of complaints recorded in 2024-25, followed by water supply issues (around 28%) such as pressure, interruptions, quality and leaks. Complaint volumes rose sharply that year — written complaints climbed 81.5% to 6,316 and the Consumer Council for Water placed the company's complaint handling in the worst-performing quartile for water-only companies. Because Affinity Water supplies water only, anything to do with sewers, drainage or wastewater is not its responsibility and should be raised with the relevant sewerage company. The company's own procedure aims to give a comprehensive Stage 1 response within 10 working days, and pays £40 automatically if it misses that.

Complaint categories

1
Billing and charges72%
The largest single source of complaints: bills, charges, meter reads, payment and account issues. Complaints across the sector were driven up by the scale of bill increases at the 2025 price review.
CCW Household Complaints appendices 2024-25: 7,830 of Affinity Water's household complaints were billing/charges.
2
Water supply28%
Problems with the water itself — supply interruptions, low pressure, discolouration or taste, and leaks on the network.
CCW Household Complaints appendices 2024-25: 3,103 of Affinity Water's household complaints related to water supply.
3
Sewerage and wastewater
Not applicable to Affinity Water. As a water-only company it records zero sewerage complaints; sewer, drainage and wastewater issues are handled by the local sewerage company (Thames Water, Anglian Water or Southern Water).
CCW Household Complaints appendices 2024-25 record 0 sewerage complaints for Affinity Water.

Latest statistics

10,933Total household complaints received2024-25

Figures are from the Consumer Council for Water's Household Complaints Report 2024-25 and its data appendices (published September 2025), covering the 2024-25 reporting year. Affinity Water is a water-only company (WOC); the sewerage share of its complaints is zero because it does not provide sewerage.

Contact methods

Affinity Water — Customer Relations (complaints, Stage 1)0345 357 2401
Affinity Water — write to usPostal address for complaints: Affinity Water, Tamblin Way, Hatfield, AL10 9EZ.
Consumer Council for Water (CCW) — independent help0300 034 2222
Dispute Resolution Ombudsman — binding decisionThe sector's alternative dispute resolution provider. You can apply only after exhausting Affinity Water's procedure and being told by CCW that you are eligible. Its decision is binding.
Sewerage provider (for drainage/wastewater, NOT Affinity Water)Thames Water 0800 316 9800, Anglian Water 0345 714 5145, or Southern Water 0330 303 0368, depending on where you live.

Complaint journey

1
Stage 1 — contact Customer Relations
Raise your complaint with Affinity Water first, by phone, WhatsApp, online form or letter.
Typical responseUp to 10 working days
What happens
Contact Affinity Water via WhatsApp, phone (0345 357 2401), the online form or in writing. Include your account number, full name and the first line of your address, plus as much detail as possible and your preferred outcome. The Customer Relations Team investigates independently and has up to 10 working days to give you a comprehensive review. If you do not hear back within 10 working days, Affinity Water automatically pays £40 under its Guaranteed Standards of Service.
2
Stage 2 — internal escalation
If you are still unhappy, ask for a further review by a different team or senior colleague.
Typical responseVaries
What happens
If the Stage 1 response does not address your concerns, your complaint can be escalated for a further review by a different team or senior colleague, who looks for alternative outcomes. Note that in some cases — for example where the matter is fixed by company policy, regulation or law, or has been fully reviewed — Stage 1 is treated as the company's final position and there is no Stage 2, in line with CCW guidance.
3
Stage 3 — Consumer Council for Water (CCW)
Take an unresolved complaint to CCW, the independent body for water customers.
Typical responseAfter 8 weeks or on final response
What happens
If you remain dissatisfied, or if Affinity Water has not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you can seek advice from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), an independent organisation that represents water consumers. CCW is not a regulator and does not fine companies; it takes up unresolved complaints and tries to negotiate a resolution.
4
Dispute Resolution Ombudsman — binding decision
As a last resort, apply for an independent, binding decision.
Typical responseBinding decision
What happens
After CCW's efforts, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman for an independent, binding decision. You can apply only once you have exhausted Affinity Water's complaints procedure and CCW has told you that you are eligible. This alternative dispute resolution service was appointed for the water sector in 2026, replacing the previous WATRS scheme.

Response times

At Stage 1 Affinity Water aims to give a comprehensive review of your complaint within 10 working days; if it does not respond within that time it automatically pays £40 under its Guaranteed Standards of Service. Complaints about how your personal data has been used are acknowledged and answered within 30 days. You can escalate to the Consumer Council for Water if your complaint is unresolved after eight weeks or you are unhappy with the final response. A binding decision from the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman is available only after you have exhausted the company's procedure and CCW confirms you are eligible.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Affinity Water can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Consumer Council for Water

Recent news

10 July 2026
Affinity Water announced a Temporary Use (hosepipe) Ban across its supply area — Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London — with the restriction coming into force from 17 July 2026 after demand rose about 20% during a prolonged dry spell.
Read more
10 September 2025
The Consumer Council for Water's annual complaints report named Affinity Water among the poorest-performing companies for 2024-25; it and SES Water were the worst-performing water-only companies, with the highest complaint volumes and poorest complaint handling. Affinity Water's written complaints rose 81.5% to 6,316.
Read more

Earlier cases

13 October 2022
Historic: Ofwat required water companies to return around £150m to customers for missing 2021-22 performance commitments; Affinity Water's share was about £0.8m, returned through customer bills.
Read more

Know your rights

Water Industry Act 1991 and the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS)
Sets out minimum service standards water companies must meet (for example on appointments, supply interruptions and responding to complaints) with fixed compensation payments when they are missed — Affinity Water's automatic £40 payment for a late Stage 1 response reflects this. Temporary Use Bans are also made under this Act. This is general information, not legal advice.
Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992
Section 29 (which amended the Water Industry Act 1991) underpins the requirement for water companies to operate a complaints procedure; Affinity Water states its procedure is established in accordance with it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill; where a chargeable service falls short you may be entitled to have it put right or to a price reduction. Its application to a regulated water supply is limited, so CCW and the ombudsman are usually the more direct routes. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Does Affinity Water deal with sewerage or drainage complaints?

No. Affinity Water only supplies clean drinking water. Sewerage, drainage, blocked sewers and wastewater are handled by your local sewerage company — Thames Water, Anglian Water or Southern Water, depending on where you live.

How do I make a complaint to Affinity Water?

Start at Stage 1 by contacting the Customer Relations Team via WhatsApp, phone (0345 357 2401), the online form or in writing to Tamblin Way, Hatfield, AL10 9EZ. Include your account number, full name and the first line of your address.

How long does Affinity Water take to respond?

Its procedure aims to provide a comprehensive Stage 1 response within 10 working days. If it misses that, it automatically pays you £40 under its Guaranteed Standards of Service.

What if Affinity Water does not resolve my complaint?

If you are still unhappy after its internal stages, or it has not resolved things within eight weeks, contact the Consumer Council for Water (0300 034 2222). If that does not settle it, you can ask for a binding decision from the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman once CCW confirms you are eligible.

Is Affinity Water's complaint handling any good?

For 2024-25 the Consumer Council for Water placed its complaint handling in the worst-performing quartile of water-only companies (composite score 8 out of 8), and its written complaints rose 81.5% to 6,316 that year.

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