- Consumer advocates say Britons are already stretched thin on water bills
Two in five households will struggle to pay the expected rise in water bills, the water watchdog has warned.
Regulator Ofwat has provisionally said bills will rise by an average of £19 a year (21 per cent) by 2030.
But water companies want to increase bills by up to 84 per cent over the same period, if Ofwat allows it.
A survey by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) found that 18 per cent of customers are already struggling to pay their water bills.
Forty percent said they would find it difficult to afford a bill increase of 21 percent, let alone more.
Overwhelming: Many households are already struggling and can’t afford further increases in bills
Of that 40 percent:
- 43 percent said they would have to use less water.
- 54 percent said they would cut non-essential bills to pay for water.
- 38 percent said they would spend less on essentials, such as buying groceries.
The CCW surveyed 9,500 customers of 19 water companies.
CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: “It’s quite alarming the extent to which water affordability will affect people in the future.”
How to save money on water bills
Consider a water meter
Around 40 per cent of homes in England and Wales do not have a water meter, and some of them would save money on water bills by installing one.
Getting a water meter is often the best way to save money on bills, for those who don’t use a higher than average amount of water.
Not everyone will save with a meter, but water companies will generally give you two years to try one and allow you to change it back if you’re not happy.
The CCW has a calculator That helps you understand if a water meter could save you money.
However, the general rule of thumb is that a water bill could lower your bills if you live in a property with a high “taxable value” (the formula used to set estimated water bills), don’t use much water, or live alone.
Use less water if you can.
If you have a water meter installed, using less water means paying lower bills.
Household water bills with these meters are made up of rates for the water used, as well as fixed daily charges.
But using less water also means lower energy bills, since much of the water homes use is heated first.
Check if you are entitled to a social rate
Each water company in England and Wales has its own social tariff system designed to help low-income customers.
But who is eligible and the level of support offered varies greatly from company to company. In some cases, bills can be reduced by up to 90 percent.
Ways to save: Considering a water meter or seeing if they qualify for a social tariff are just some of the ways households can try to reduce their water bills
CCW has a list of rates and social criteria on their website.
For example, Thames Water’s social tariff is called Water Help.
Reduces water bills by 50 percent for households where this costs more than 5 percent of their net income.
According to the CCW, almost two million households (or 15 percent) are eligible for social water tariffs, but have not subscribed to any.
Consider the WaterSure scheme
WaterSure is a government scheme run by water companies to discount bills for qualifying households in England and Wales.
To qualify, a household must receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
Most of the benefits listed are for low-income people.
A household that enrolls in WaterSure will also need large amounts of water, either for medical reasons or because they have many young children.
They must also have a water meter installed or be on a waiting list for one.
WaterSure offers discounts on both the water and sewer portions of a water bill.
To apply, you will need to fill out a form from your water company and will likely need to prove that you receive benefits and have a qualifying medical condition.
