Average household water and sewerage bills in England and Wales will be cut by around £17 (4%) in 2020/21 - meaning customers will continue to pay around £1 a day for world-class drinking water, reliable sewerage services and increased protection of the environment

The average annual bill will come down from £413.33 to £396.60, although there will be variations from company to company.

In contrast with large rises in bills in other areas such as energy and rail, after inflation, average water bills are around the same level that they were a decade ago.

In addition to the reduction in average bills, water companies are planning to almost double the number of people getting help with their bills every year, up from 760,000 customers now to at least 1.4 million by 2025.

Commenting on the new figures, Water UK Chief Executive Christine McGourty said;

“The water industry is committed to giving customers good value for money. For around £1 a day, customers get the world-class quality water they need and their wastewater managed responsibly.

“Companies are also committed to investing for the future and protecting the environment, with an ambitious goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the sector by 2030. And companies are increasing the assistance available for customers who need it most. The number of people getting help to pay their water bills will almost double, whether that’s through reduced tariffs or targeted support.”

More savings available for cash-strapped households via meters and social tariffs

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), relaunched this month as CCW – wants customers to take full advantage of a 4 per cent reduction in the average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales from 1 April 2020.

CCW said the changes will provide a shot in the arm for many of the three million customers who say they struggle to afford the most essential utility. The consumer body says now is also the ideal time for customers to see whether they could make even bigger savings by trialling a water meter.

Andy White, CCW’s Senior Policy Manager, said:

“Many households don’t feel they get a fair deal from their water company but over the next five years customers are set to receive more for their money – and we want them to take full advantage.”

“There are still millions of households who could tap into savings by switching to a meter or cut their bills if they’re on a low income by signing up to their company’s social tariff.”

According to CCW, switching to a meter is often the simplest way to save and some customers find they can slash their water bills by more than £100 a year. Most companies will usually give customers up to 2 years to trial a meter and switch back if they are worse off or unhappy.

CCW has a popular online water meter calculator where people can quickly check to see if they might be better off before taking the plunge. Last year customers using the calculator identified potential savings worth £19.6 million.

CCW is also recommending that low-income households should also check to see if they’re eligible for their water company’s social tariff. The schemes can substantially reduce the bills of cash-strapped customers by as much as 90 per cent in some cases.

Customers can explore the range of financial assistance schemes available by contacting their water company or visiting CCW’s website www.ccwater.org.uk