Ofwat 'urgently assesses' £1.3m paid to boss of Yorkshire Water

The water regulator is scrutinising payments worth £1.3m made to the boss of Yorkshire Water via an offshore parent company, after the Guardian revealed the existence of the extra money.

- Jasper Jolly

A government spokesperson said Ofwat, the watchdog for England and Wales, would assess the payments to the utility's chief executive, Nicola Shaw, to ensure they complied with rules banning bonuses for water company bosses.

Shaw received pay of £1.3m from Yorkshire Water's parent company, the Jersey-incorporated Kelda Holdings, between April 2023 and March 2025. The company revealed the size of the pay packets only after the Guardian raised questions about the ability of MPs and billpayers to scrutinise the sums awarded.

A spokesperson said Yorkshire Water complied fully with Ofwat's requirements on pay disclosure and bonus payments, and that the extra payments relating to work for Kelda Holdings had been paid by shareholders rather than billpayers.