Morning, Tuesday, 13th October 2026
Online
This conference will consider the future of water markets in England and Wales. Areas for discussion include priorities for regulation and governance, investment and financial resilience, consumer protection and affordability, competition and market development, as well as the role of data and digital infrastructure in supporting sector performance.
Policy implementation and accountability
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the way forward following the Competition and Markets Authority’s final determinations for Ofwat’s PR24 and AMP8 regime, publication of A New Vision for Water White Paper, and wider developments in policy and legislation, including the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and forthcoming Clean Water Bill. The agenda will focus on priorities for economic regulation, accountability and oversight, alongside considerations for investment, infrastructure planning, environmental performance, consumer outcomes and public confidence.
Investment and consumer affordability
Sessions will examine approaches to financial resilience, price-setting and long-term delivery, including the proposed move towards 25-year planning horizons and options for attracting and deploying investment to support network resilience and future development. Attendees will also consider the relationship between investment requirements, customer affordability and security of supply, as well as implications of proposals for a new integrated regulator and any expanded remit and powers.
Meeting demand, preventing leaks and protecting consumers
Further discussion will look at competition and market design across wholesale and retail water markets, including priorities for consumer protection, market entry and expansion, and future development of the net asset value and business retail markets. Delegates will also assess implications of smart metering, data sharing and market modernisation initiatives for customer service, demand management, leakage reduction, settlement, charging and wider system performance.
Overview of areas for discussion
- economic regulation:
- transition to a new integrated regulator - forthcoming Transition Plan - continuity, predictability and supervisory approach - alignment of economic, environmental and service regulation
- price-setting:
- PR24 redeterminations and AMP8 delivery - affordability, investment and performance requirements - longer-term planning horizons - financial resilience and financing transparency
- consumer protection:
- new Water Ombudsman arrangements - trust, transparency and accountability - support for vulnerable households - water poverty, debt matching and social tariffs
- investment and planning:
- private investment and competitive delivery - Specified Infrastructure Project Regulations reform and green bonds - long-term planning for demand growth, climate risk and ageing assets - asset health and maintenance
- market competition:
- NAV framework reform - bulk charging, licensing and obligations - dispute reduction and application processing - market entry and expansion
- business retail:
- switching and administrative barriers - exit risk and Supplier Last Resort proposals - deemed tariffs, Retail Exit Code and price caps - small firm protections and compliance
- market performance:
- MOSL Market Performance Framework - assurance and auditing - MOSL Business Plan 2025-2028 priorities - settlement, charging, switching and bilateral trading
- smart data:
- governance and system oversight - environmental, social and governance reporting, artificial intelligence analytics and third-party data sharing - data protection, competition and modernisation considerations
- metering and efficiency:
- smart meter rollout - MOSL’s Strategic Data Programme and National Metering Strategy - Smart Meter Read Hub - demand management, smart tariffs and efficiency labelling
