Yahoo Finance Water bills to rise £9 on average - how much will you be paying?
Water bills are to rise by £9 a year on average – with the biggest increases for households in the north-west of England.
The price hike sees the average bill climb past £400, reaching £405 for the coming year.
Customers in the north-west, served by United Utilities, will have to absorb the biggest rises of an average of £18 (4%) to £435.
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In contrast, bills for South West Water customers, who live in Cornwall and Devon and parts of Dorset and Somerset, will decrease by an average of £14 (-3%) to £491.
Water UK, which represents water companies, said the 2% increase would go towards a £44 billion investment programme over the five years to 2020.
The industry aims to stop 370 million litres a day leaking from pipes, ensure that nearly 5,000 fewer properties will be flooded with sewer water and 50 beaches are cleaner.
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Michael Roberts, Water UK chief executive, said: “We know that households are under financial pressure in a number of ways.
“Even though the cost of water and sewerage 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.”
Water UK said the below inflation change to average bills is in the context of an overall cut in bills of 5% in real terms between 2015-2020.
It is part of five-year plans developed in consultation with customers and confirmed by the industry regulator, Ofwat.
Water companies in England and Wales will invest more than £8 billion in 2018-19.
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The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said the devil was in the detail as what people would pay depended very much on where they live and their supplier.
For example, Affinity Water charges customers in its Central region £172 for water but those in its Southern area are charged £204.
CCWater chief executive Tony Smith 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.”
