UK watchdog mulls changes to water bills as retailers reopen

July 9 (Reuters) - Britain's water regulator on Thursday proposed tightening of measures it had put in place to support retailers during the coronavirus-led shutdown, as governtment-mandated restrictions begin to ease across the country.

The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) said it was considering either not extending liquidity support beyond July and halting the option to defer wholesale charges, or restricting wholesale charges that can be deferred in the range of 30% to 40% of the monthly bill till October.

"As businesses start to reopen and adapt to a new normal, we too must review our interventions in the longer-term interests of customers and the market," said Georgina Mills, business retail market director at Ofwat, adding that the regulator has been clear that sector-specific liquidity support was time bound.

(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)