The average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales will rise by two per cent from April, it was announced today.
Industry body Water UK said the new charges would see the average bill increase by £8 to £415. The exact figure will vary depending on the supplier and individual circumstances.
It added that water companies would invest more than £8 billion into the industry in 2019-2020. Bills were also going down by more than five per cent in real terms between 2015 and 2020, it said.
Chief executive Michael Roberts said: “The water industry’s record has been good over the past 30 years but it’s clear that water companies have higher ambitions for the future of water.”
The Consumer Council for Water said any increase would be unwelcome for struggling households faced with other rising living costs.
Chief executive Tony Smith said: “Even just a small increase has the potential to hurt the three million households who tell us they struggle to afford their water bills. We’d like to see companies go further by dipping into their own pockets to help customers that are already feeling the pinch.”
