Water companies must make sure that customers who cannot afford to pay their bills are given the help they need, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater).
The water watchdog’s call comes with the annual publication of charges by Water UK reveals that the average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales will rise by £2 to £389 in 2016/17 – an increase of less than 1 per cent.
The figures show average bills but what customers actually end up paying will vary depending on individual circumstances. Some customers will pay more and some less than the average bill for their company.
The announcement marks the second wave of charges under the five-year price setting deal finalised by Ofwat, the industry’s regulator, in December 2014. Between 2015 and 2020 household bills are set to fall by an average of 5 per cent (before inflation).
Tony Smith, Chief Executive of CCWater, said:
“We are pleased that the rise in bills for 2016-17 is less than 1 per cent but it is still an increase. Affordability is still a concern for many low-income households who are already struggling to pay. Our research shows that one in eight customers in England and Wales are already finding it difficult to afford their water bill*.
“Water companies need to do more to ensure that customers who are struggling or unable to pay their bill get the help they need. We have been working with the companies to ensure that they raise awareness of the social tariffs and other assistance schemes they can offer customers who urgently need support.”
CCWater has helped 15 water companies to launch social tariffs and more are in the pipeline this year.
The water watchdog is also supporting struggling customers by working with poverty relief charity Turn2us to launch an online benefits calculator and grants search tool to enable customers to identify additional income to help them to pay their bills.
The tools are available on the CCWater website – www.ccwater.org.uk – along with a water meter calculator which customers can use to find out whether they would save money by switching to a water meter.
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