Ofwat has set out how customers will be charged for 2008-09. The average increase in prices for 2008-09 is 5.8%, which includes inflation of 4.3%.
Average bills for water services range from £90 for Portsmouth Water to £204 for South West Water, with an overall average of £157. Average sewerage bills range from £115 for Thames Water to £293 for South West Water, with an overall average of £174.Ten companies have agreed to increase their prices by less than the full amount available to them.
The regulator has also outlined a number of new developments and significant changes for this financial year. United Utilities has started the second phase of its transition to charge non-household customers for surface water drainage based on the site area of their property. Customers connected to the network before 1 April 2007, will pay a charge partly based on the rateable value of the property and partly based on the site area for 2008-09. Thames Water has restructured its domestic assessed charge, which now charges according to the number of bedrooms in a property. Southern Water has rebalanced the charges between domestic sewerage and trade effluent, because trade effluent customers were being slightly undercharged.
Ofwat has also approved six new tariffs for trial. Four of these will look at the effectiveness of new structures for household metered charges in influencing water usage, while two others will offer incentives to help customers pay bills.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.