Water bills in England will rise by £123 on average this year

Average annual water bills will increase by £123 this year in the largest price hike since the water industry was privatised in 1989.

The rise, which is the equivalent of around £10 more a month, will take place from 1 April and will vary largely between regions.

For example, people in Northumbria will have to deal with a rise of £80 (19%) by the end of 2026. Though still significant, it pales in comparison to the £225 (47%) hike that Southern Water’s customers will experience.

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The hikes come after Ofwat, the industry regulator, outlined a plan to invest £104 billion into England’s water infrastructure last December, quadrupling investment. Nine new reservoirs will be built and existing infrastructure will be improved.

Water prices will likely continue to remain high for the next five years to fund the programme.

While the price rises will stretch the budgets of some customers, the water industry body Water UK says firms will expand safeguarding measures to reduce water bills for those struggling.

The body says that more than 3 million households will receive reduced water bills through ‘social tariffs’ or ‘WaterSure’ charges worth more than £4.1 billion over the next five years.

The move has been met with criticism from both politicians and consumer organisations with Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrats’ Environmental spokesperson, saying: “It is absolutely scandalous that customers will now have to pay through the nose for the shocking failings of water companies. The whole thing stinks.”

Meanwhile, Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said: “These bill rises may be less than what water companies wanted but they are still more than what many people can afford. Customers will be hit particularly hard from April with a large chunk of these increases frontloaded into next year.

“We know at least two in five households will find these increases difficult to afford but the support being offered by some water companies lacks ambition. People want to see more investment, but this must be coupled with a strong safety net for customers who will struggle to pay.”

Commenting on the hike, David Black, Ofwat Chief Executive, said: “We recognise the challenge that some customers are facing with increasing financial pressures and understand that the water sector is not the only area where customers are faced with rising costs.

“We have pushed companies to double the amount of support over the next five-year period and strongly encourage customers who are struggling to pay their water bills to contact their water company to access this.

“While bills are rising, the £104 billion investment we have approved over the next five years will accelerate the delivery of cleaner rivers and seas and help to secure long-term drinking water supplies for customers.”

How much will my water bill increase by?

Water bills vary, depending on where in the country you live. Below is a table showing how much your water bills will increase according to your water provider:

The following providers only deliver water and do not deal with wastewater. Their prices are therefore much lower than dual providers.