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Water bills for households in England and Wales will rise by an average of £123 annually from April, according to final figures released. The average bill will now be £603. However, the increases will be felt most acutely by customers of some companies. Customers of Southern Water will see a 47% increase to £703, while bills will rise by 32% for Hafren Dyfrdwy, South West Water and Bournemouth Water. Thames Water and Yorkshire Water customers face rises of 31% and 29% respectively.
The bill increases follow plans outlined by regulator Ofwat in December for rises over the next five years. Increased charges will be front-loaded in April to allow infrastructure spending to commence. Companies have increased investment for infrastructure, including new reservoirs, and pledged to offer more help to vulnerable customers.
Consumer groups have warned the increased bills could see more households fall into debt. About 2.5 million households are already in debt to their water company, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). The CCW said the increase was the largest since the privatisation of the water industry 36 years ago. The group called for more support, despite companies having said they will set aside more than £4bn to fund social tariffs.
Water UK chief executive David Henderson said it recognised that increased bills were “never welcome” and acknowledged that the bill rise would be difficult for many households. Ofwat chief executive David Black said bills were set to rise, but insisted the £104bn investment approved for the next five years would help deliver cleaner seas and rivers and long-term drinking water supplies
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