Water and sewerage bills for household customers in England and Wales will go up 2% today to an average bill of £415. Customers will pay an average water bill of £193 and an average sewerage bill of £222.
Ahead of the price rise, water watchdog Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said that switching to a water meter could help thousands of households dilute the impact of an £8 rise in the average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales.
The water watchdog says switching to a meter could save some households more than £100 a year, with most water companies giving customers up to two years to trial one and revert back if they want to.
However, some water companies in the South East of England are rolling out universal metering programmes. Customers of these companies do not have the option to switch back to unmeasured charges.
Andy White, Senior Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water, said:
“April can be a very difficult time for cash-strapped consumers, but there are ways to stop water bills draining your finances.”
“Switching to a meter won’t suit everyone but in some cases households are delighted to discover they can make a considerable saving. Water companies also offer a wide range of schemes designed to help ease the pressure on low-income customers.”
Other ways CCWater have suggested to help reduce water bills include:
- Apply for a lower tariff – About 500,000 households are already signed up to social tariff schemes. These can help eligible low-income customers cut their bills, in some cases, by as much as 90 per cent. CCWater has a guide on its website.
- Free water-saving devices – Most water companies will offer you a free water-saving pack with devices that can help reduce your use around the house. These are ideal for saving money if you’re a metered customer.
- Soak-away savings – Customers with a soak-away in the garden, which drains all the surface water from a property into the earth, can apply to have surface water drainage charges removed from their bills. This could typically save about £35 a year.
- Sign up to WaterSure – if a metered household receives income-related benefits and has to use a lot of water due to having a large family or medical condition, they may be eligible for WaterSure. The nationwide scheme caps the amount customers can be charged.
- Top up low income – Millions of households are still missing out on benefits and charitable grants that could bolster their low income and help them to afford essentials like water. CCWater ‘s Benefits Calculator and Grants Search Tool on its website can help customers to see whether they are eligible.
GMB union - price rise begs question of whether privatisation has failed
GMB, the water union, is using the price increase as an opportunity to pursue its ongoing call for renationalisation, describing it as ‘insulting to customers.’
Stuart Fegan, GMB National Officer, said:
“For private water companies to hike up bills again is insulting to customers and begs the question again whether privatisation has failed.
“Billions of litres of water are wasted every day, while bosses trouser millions and shareholders continue to get rich on dividends from our natural resource”
“30 years on from privatisation, it’s clear it is not working. It’s time to take back the tap and bring our water sector back into public hands.”
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