MILLIONS of water customers will see their bills rise 36% by 2030, the regulator has confirmed.
Average water bills currently stand at £448 but will increase to £484 next Spring.
Ofwat shared revealed the figures to customers this morning.[/caption]
The biggest rise is by XX, which would see bills for its customers in XXX rise by XX% (£XXX) between now and 2030.
Ofwat warned in July that bills would increase by an average of £19 a year between 2025 and 2030.
The regulator said this rise was a third less than the increase requested by water companies, which had proposed an average increase of £144 over the next five years.
Today’s hikes come as part of Ofwat’s 2024 Price Review (PR24) which covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2030.
It sets limits on what companies can charge their customers for water to cover the cost of repairs to the network.
Proposals for what these rises could look like were published earlier this year and the final plans have been confirmed this morning.
COMPENSATION ALREADY DUE
It comes as water companies face criticism over record levels of sewage discharged into rivers and seas despite huge profits.
At the beginning of October, water companies were ordered to return £157.6million to customers after failing to meet pollution targets.
Each year, Ofwat evaluates the performance of England and Wales‘ 17 largest water and wastewater companies against key targets, including sewer flooding, supply interruptions, and water leaks.
For the second consecutive year, no company attained the highest rating, although four companies demonstrated improvement compared to the previous year.
As a result, millions of customers at 13 water companies will see their bills slashed next year as the watchdog issues fresh penalties.
The penalties for each water firm are as follows:
- Thames Water £56.8million
- Anglian Water: £38.1million
- Yorkshire Water: £36million
- Southern Water: £31.9million
- Welsh Water: £24.1million
- South West Water: £17.4million
- South East Water: £8million
- Wessex Water: £5.3million
- Affinity Water: £5.2million
- Bristol Water: £1.9million
- Portsmouth Water: £1.1million
- South Staffs Water: £700,000
- Hafren Dyfrdwy: £200,000
The regulator said that the exact amount that will be returned to customers will be finalised on December 19 and applied to bills from April 2025.
Water companies were set stretching targets for 2020-25 to deliver better outcomes, for both customers and the environment.
Where they fall short on these, the regulator imposes performance penalties resulting in customers being charged less than they would be the following billing year.
Performance penalties have totalled more than £430million since 2020.
Last year, Ofwat forced through bill reductions worth £177.6million.
On Thursday (December 19), Ofwat will confirm how much water companies are allowed to hike bills over the next five years.
In October, water companies requested increases of 40%, adding an extra £176 to a typical household’s costs and bringing the total to £615 per year.
The regulator said at the time: “We will consider this additional expenditure request as part of our final determinations.”
What compensation is increasing?
COMPENSATION for several common problems will see substantial increases:
- Low water pressure: Payments could reach £250, a tenfold increase from the current £25.
- Internal sewer flooding: Compensation could exceed £2,000, compared to the current maximum of £1,000.
- Supply interruptions: Households could receive £150 and businesses £300, as exemplified by a recent incident in South Staffordshire.
- “Do Not Drink” notices: A compulsory payment of £220 for households and £440 for businesses would be triggered, unlike the voluntary £30 offered by Thames Water to residents in Bramley, Sussex, earlier this year.
- Water quality incidents: Customers affected by incidents like the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham, Devon, could receive at least £10 per 24 hours, potentially totalling over £500 for extended events.
What water bill support is available?
it’s always worth checking if you qualify for a discount or extra support to help pay your water bill.
Over two million households who qualify to be on discounted social water tariffs aren’t claiming the savings provided, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
Only 1.3million households are currently issued with a social water tariff – up 19% from the previous year.
And the average household qualifying for the discounted water rates can slash their bills by £160 a year.
Every water company has a social tariff scheme which can help reduce your bills if you’re on a low income and the CCW is calling on customers to take advantage before bills rise in April.
Who’s eligible for help and the level of support offered varies depending on your water company.
Most suppliers also have a pot of money to dish out to thousands of customers who are under pressure from rising costs – and you don’t have to pay it back.
These grants can be worth hundreds of pounds offering a vital lifeline when faced with daunting water bills.
The exact amount you can get depends on where you live and your supplier, as well as your individual circumstances.
Many billpayers across the country could also get help paying off water debts through a little-known scheme and even get the balance written off.
Companies match the payments eligible customers make against the debt on their account to help clear it sooner.
If you’re on a water meter but find it hard to save water as you have a large family or water-dependent medical condition, you may be able to cap your bills through the WaterSure scheme.
Bills are capped at the average amount for your supplier, so the amount you could save will vary.
The Consumer Council for Water estimates that bills are reduced by £307 on average through the scheme.
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