Water bills to rise by up to £47 a year from April - how to cut your costs
The average water bill in England and Wales is set to rise by 7.5% or around £31 a year - but some households will see their costs go up by more than this.
Water bills, which include the cost of sewage, will go up from £417 a year to £448 on average, Water UK announced today.
But some parts of England and Wales will see above inflation rises, while others will see a much smaller increase. This is because prices depend on where you live.
The biggest rise in cash terms will hit customers of Anglian Water whose water and sewage bill will rise by £47 from £445 to £492 a year - up 10.5%.
Hafren Dyfrdwy customers will see the biggest percentage increase for a combined bill, rising by more than 12% from £331 to £372 - a difference of £41
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From April, several household bills are set to rise (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Water UK says although companies have "absorbed as much cost as possible" this year’s change particularly reflects the inflationary impact of higher energy costs.
This is because water companies use around 2% of the UK's electricity.
These figures are just an average as there are regional variations and other individual factors such as whether a customer is metered and how much water they use which can affect their bill.
Stuart Colville, director of policy at Water UK said: “With an average increase of around 60p a week, most customers will again see a below-inflation increase in their water bill.
“However, we know that any increase is unwelcome, particularly at the moment.That is why companies are also releasing an extra £200 million to help those that may be struggling.
“Anyone with worries should contact their water company or go to supportontap.org for advice, and it’s worth remembering that water companies will never cut anyone off, or make them use a prepayment meter.”
In Scotland, water and sewerage prices depend on your council tax band and are covered by a "combined service charge".
Water and sewage companies
- Anglian Water is going up from £445 to £492 (+10.5%) - up by £47
- Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is going from £485 to £499 (+2.8%) - up by £14
- Hafren Dyfrdwy Water is going up from £331 to £372 (+12.3%) - up by £41
- Northumbrian Water is going up from £362 to £391 (+8%) - up by £29
- Severn Trent is going up from £391 to £419 (+7.1%) - up by £28
- Southern Water is going up from £396 to £439 (10.8+%) - up by £43
- South West Water is going up from £468 to £476 (1.7+%) - up by £8
- Thames Water is going up from £417 to £456 (+9.3%) - up by £39
- United Utilities is going up from £417 to £443 (+6.2%) - up by £26
- Wessex Water is going up from £462 to £504 (+8.8%) - up by £42
- Yorkshire Water is going up from £416 to £446 (+7.2%) - up by £30
Water only companies
- Affinity Water Central is going up from £175 to £187 (+6.8%) - up by £12
- Affinity Water East is going up from £207 to £227 (+9.6%) - up by £20
- Affinity Water Southeast is going up from £235 to £257 (+9.3%) - up by £22
- Bournemouth Water is going up from £137 to £140 (+2.1%) - up by £3
- Bristol Water is going up from £201 to £213 (+5.9%) - up by £12
- Cambridge Water is going up from £153 to £161 (+5.2%) - up by £8
- Essex & Suffolk Water is going up from £245 to £259 (+5.7%) - up by £14
- Portsmouth Water is going up from £109 to £117 (+7.3%) - up by £8
- SES Water is going up from £190 to £216 (+13.6%) - up by £26
- South East Water is going up from £218 to £242 (+11%) - up by £32
- South Staffordshire Water is going up from £160 to £173 (+8.1%) - up by £13
How to slash the cost of your water bill
The news of these increases may cause many to worry as from April, energy bills are to increase again alongside council tax.
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says although water companies are helping more than a million households through their own social tariff schemes, it is a "postcode lottery".
This means many customers who cannot afford their bills slip through the net and more needs to be done.
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There are some ways struggling households can reduce their bills or access support.
The CCW’s top three ways to save or seek support with water bills:
See if you'd benefit from a water meter
If you have more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people, then it is worth seeing if you would benefit from a water meter.
Not everyone will save with a meter but water companies will give you two years to trial one and switch back if you’re unhappy.
The CCW has a water meter calculator on its website that can help you work out if you might save.
Reduce hot water usage
Much of the water we use in the home comes from the hot tap, which means if you have a water meter you can double up on water and energy savings too.
If every person in a family of four halved their daily shower time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes they could save more than £700 a year, which is the water and energy bill savings combined.
You can reduce your water consumption, as well as energy, by installing a water efficient shower head (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Sign up for a water social tariff
You cannot change your water company, like with gas and electricity, but you may be able to switch your tariff.
All water companies offer reduced tariffs to low-income customers and the eligibility and the level of support varies from company to company.
To access this help, you will need to contact your water company directly.
Use water saving devices
Many water companies offer free water-saving devices that shave pounds off your bills and these freebies usually consist of shower timers, buffalo bags, and Leaky Loo detection strips.
If you are able to, you can also install a water-efficient showerhead, the cheapest can cost between £10 to £15.
The average shower uses between 10 and 15 litres of water per minute, but a water-efficient showerhead only uses eight litres which is a lot less and could in turn reduce your water bill.
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