Customer Care Info Clear routes through the phone tree.
TW

United Kingdom Water

Thames Water customer service and complaints

Water and sewerage for London and the Thames Valley

Provisional entry Checked 2 Nov 2026 Thames Water Utilities Limited
0800 316 9800 Support site

Thames Water supplies water and sewerage to London and the Thames Valley. Use the 24/7 line for leaks and flooding; billing complaints follow the company's formal process and can go to CCW.

Step one

Ways to contact Thames Water

Customer service Primary

0800 316 9800

24/7 emergencies; billing Mon–Fri

Use for leaks, flooding, supply and billing.

Call

Live chat

Thames Water chat

See site for hours

Available for account questions.

Open

Formal complaint form

Open complaint form

Use this after contacting support if the issue is not resolved.

Open

Check for an outage before you call: service status page.

Step two

How to complain about Thames Water

Work through the stages in order. Each one creates the paper trail the next stage needs.

  1. 1

    Stage 1

    Report the problem to Thames Water

    Straight away, especially for leaks

    Contact Thames Water and ask for a formal complaint reference. Give the account number, dates and any photos. For leaks or flooding, ask for the incident reference too.

    Use the phone or complaint form on this page.

    Ask whether the company will cover emergency repair costs or temporary accommodation.

  2. 2

    Stage 2

    Give the company time to investigate

    Eight weeks

    Water companies usually have a set period to respond, and complaints should be resolved within eight weeks. Keep paying the undisputed part of the bill.

    Follow up in writing and ask for a final response.

    Ask for the complaint to be reviewed by a manager if the first response misses the point.

  3. 3

    Stage 3

    Take it to CCW

    Usually within a few months of the company's final response

    The Consumer Council for Water can investigate complaints that the company has not resolved. It can explain your rights, negotiate and recommend remedies.

    Submit your complaint and evidence through CCW's website or helpline.

    CCW cannot award compensation like a court, but it can pressure the company and clarify next steps.

  4. 4

    Stage 4

    Report regulatory failures to Ofwat

    Any time

    Ofwat does not resolve individual complaints, but it regulates the company's performance and can investigate systemic failures.

    Use Ofwat's contact route for regulatory concerns.

    A pattern of similar complaints across customers is more powerful than a single case.

Step three

Formal complaint letter template

Formal complaint letter template (UK water). Copy it, fill in the bracketed fields and keep a dated copy.

Template
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your email]
[Your phone]

[Date]

Thames Water
Customer Complaints Team

Account number: [account number]
Supply address: [supply address]

Dear Complaints Team,

I am writing to make a formal complaint about my water and sewerage service.

What happened

[Explain the leak, supply interruption, billing, pressure or water-quality issue and give dates. Include incident and complaint references.]

What I want

[State the remedy you want: repair, bill adjustment, investigation, compensation or reimbursement of costs.]

I contacted you on [dates] and the issue remains unresolved. Please treat this as a formal complaint and respond within eight weeks.

If we cannot resolve this, I intend to escalate the complaint to the Consumer Council for Water and, if appropriate, report the matter to Ofwat.

Yours faithfully,

[Your name]

Send it by a method you can prove — email with read receipt, or tracked post — and keep the reference number.

If it is not fixed

Escalate to the regulator

Use these routes only after the provider has had a fair chance to respond, or if they have breached a published deadline.

CCW Consumer Council for Water England and Wales — water The Consumer Council for Water is the statutory consumer body for water and sewerage in England and Wales. It is independent of the water companies a… Make a complaint Details
Ofwat Water Services Regulation Authority England and Wales — water Ofwat is the economic regulator for water and sewerage in England and Wales. It sets the price limits that companies can charge, approves investment… Make a complaint Details

Questions

Thames Water FAQ

How do I report a Thames Water leak?

Call 0800 316 9800 or use the report-a-leak form on the Thames Water site. Give the exact location and any incident number. For flooding inside a property, also contact your insurer and photograph the damage.

How do I escalate a Thames Water complaint?

Ask for a formal complaint reference and a final response. If the company does not resolve it, contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which is free and independent.

Who handles water complaints in the UK?

Start with your water company. If it does not resolve the complaint, contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). There is no statutory water ombudsman; CCW is the consumer body for the sector.

Can I get compensation for a water leak or outage?

Water companies have guaranteed standards that can trigger payments for some failures. Ask the company which standards apply and keep evidence of dates, duration and any damage. For property damage, use the company's claims process and your insurer.

Does CCW cover Scotland?

No. The Consumer Council for Water covers England and Wales. In Scotland, complaints go through Scottish Water and, if unresolved, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Provisional entry

Compiled from official provider and regulator pages, last checked 2 Nov 2026. Contact details change — confirm on the official page before relying on them.

How we verify pages

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