Splashing Out — Water Bills Rise to £405 a Year

• Waters bills expected to go up to £405 in 2018
• More money needed for pipe maintenance
• Companies claim the investment will then SAVE you money
• Latest Deals takes a look...

Homes in England and Wales will see their water bills increase to an average of £405 in 2018, rising £9 on the previous year.

Water companies want to invest in cutting leaks in pipes. They claim this could see bills fall in the long run.

Water UK, which represents water companies, said the increase is going to go towards a £44 billion investment over five years, to cut out the 370 million litres that leak from pipes everyday.

The investment will also go towards improving the environment - it will ensure that nearly 5,000 fewer properties will be flooded with sewer water, and 50 beaches will be cleaner.

It said that the change to average bills is within the context of an overall cut of 5% in real terms in the next five years, as the savings made by fixing pipes will be passed on to consumers.

However, the Consumer Council for Water cautioned that the bills customers actually end up paying will vary depending on their supplier and individual circumstances, and urged households not to overlook ways to save on costs.

Tony Smith, the Chief Executive for Consumer Council for Water, said, “Most water companies are reducing their charges before inflation is added to bills, which has softened the blow, but this will still be an unwelcome increase for millions of customers that are facing other rising costs.”

The increase means that over a million households in England and Wales will struggle to pay their water bills this year.

Water UK said companies were on track to meet the five year commitment to deliver financial support to an additional 459,000 households by 2020, meaning that by this point the industry would be helping around 1.8 million to pay their bills.

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of Water UK said, “Even though the cost of water and sewage is much less than other services, it all adds up, which is why water companies are doing everything they can to keep bills as low as possible while keeping up huge levels of investment.”

One way that you can help keep your household bills low is to consider changing suppliers, as you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.

For lower income families in Wales, help will be offered on water bills throughout the upcoming year.

Welsh Water will spend £7 million to help an extra 100,000 families in Wales by 2020, as a response to the predicted increase in water bills.

Chris Jones, Chief Executive of Welsh Water, said, “Today’s investments are a direct benefit of our unique not-for-profit way of working, which allows us to invest the money we make back into the business and benefit our customers.

“Our increased support demonstrates our continuing commitment to supporting those who genuinely struggle to pay their bills- something which our customer consultation have shown is a strong priority for people we serve.”

Despite the predicted increase in bills, it was found that consumer confidence has risen this month at the fastest rate for a year.

Have you noticed your bills going up? Let us know in the comments