Thames Water to pay £18m penalty after breaking dividend rules

Regulator says it will claw back £131m in ‘unjustified’ payments as it announces companies can increase bills by 36% by 2030

Average water bill in England and Wales to rise by 36% over five years

Firms accused of forcing households to pay for years of underinvestment after Ofwat agrees to increases to help fix sector

Taps dry in 58,000 Hampshire homes due to Southern Water fault

Outage comes as customers hear they will face the highest ill increases in England and Wales

Thames Water to get green light to hike bills by more than a third by 2030

Exclusive: Long-awaited decision by water regulator Ofwat falls short of utility’s requested 59% rise

Anger greets UK government decision not to compensate ‘Waspi women’

Minister says flat-rate compensation scheme for women affected by rising state pension age would have cost taxpayer £10.5bn

For richer or poorer? BrewDog co-founder may delay marriage to max-out tax relief

James Watt’s investment in I’m a Celebrity winner Georgia Toffolo’s raw dog food venture needs three years as ‘unconnected person’ under HMRC rules

Britain’s bumper pay rises show inflation is tricky to shift

Labour market figures do not yet show effects of Rachel Reeves’s tax rises on employers in the budget

UK pay growth leaps to 5.2%, reducing chances of interest rate cut

Rise in wages for skilled workers in manufacturing sector drives increase, but vacancies fall again

At last, a group of MPs intent on reforming our madly unfair council tax

The system relies on valuations from 1991, when Gorbachev was in power, but has become politically untouchable

Water companies urged to step up help on bills for vulnerable customers

Regulator poised to reveal steep price rises as campaigners in England and Wales fear water will become unaffordable

UK retailers accused of recruiting young shop workers without rights over Christmas

Lush and Gymshark among chains using apps promoted by TikTok influencers to take on gig economy assistants lacking basic protections, say unions

Public anger over water bill rises is justified, says UK environment secretary

‘Complete reset’ of water industry needed in face of poor service, pollution and leaks, says Steve Reed

British energy firms told to offer ‘zero’ standing charge tariff by next winter

Ofgem aims to provide choice as Martin Lewis describes daily fees as a ‘poll tax’ on gas and electricity bills

Annual rent for newly let UK home £3,240 higher than 2021, research finds

Rents have risen by 27% since end of pandemic lockdowns, while earnings have increased by 19%

British Gas owner hands investors £300m as customers face soaring bills

Campaigners criticise Centrica, saying it has made more than £7bn in profits since start of energy bills crisis