Water bills set to increase by £33 a year from April

New data from Water UK has indicated that water bills in household water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 5.4% – around £33 a year, or approximately £2.70 per month – from April, reflecting significant investment in upgrading water infrastructure. The rise is two percentage points above December’s official inflation figure.

Water companies are currently delivering a £104 billion investment programme to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas. Capital investment is at record levels and up by more than a third in just two years.

The money raised by water bills can only be used to fund infrastructure that is independently determined to be new, necessary and value for money. There is a money-back guarantee which means that if improvements are not delivered, customer bills will automatically be refunded by the regulator.

More than two million households currently receive help with their bills through social tariffs, the WaterSure scheme and other affordability measures – four times the number of broadband customers receiving financial support. An extra 300,000 households are expected to receive support in 2026-27, taking the total number to around 2.5 million. The expected average discount will be around 40%. A total of £4.1 billion in support has been committed for the period 2025–2030.

Support varies locally and can include reduced bills, payment breaks and, in some cases, debt forgiveness. Customers who are struggling should contact their water company to see what help is available, as support can often be tailored to individual circumstances.

David Henderson, Water UK Chief Executive, said, “We understand increasing bills are never welcome, but the money is needed to fund vital upgrades to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.

“While we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many, this increase will be difficult. That is why we will help around 2.5 million households – more than ever before – with average discounts of around 40% off their water bill.”

Ofwat’s interim Chief Executive, Chris Walters, said “These bill increases are supporting a record investment of £104bn to deliver long-term improvements to the water sector by 2030.

“By April 2027, we are expecting water companies to have installed more than 8 million water meters in homes to help customers manage their bills; to have replaced almost 3,000km of piping that will ensure customers experience fewer supply disruptions and reduce sewage spills from storm overflows by 30% from 2024 levels. These are just three examples that will help us reach our collective goal of cleaner rivers and seas, more resilient water supplies, and better services for customers and the environment.

“We will continue to monitor performance and hold companies to account as they progress on this journey. Money received by companies from customers is ringfenced for improvements, so if they do not deliver on their commitments, they will be made to return money to customers in their future bills.

“However, we also recognise that these bill increases may be difficult for some people. That is why we approved a doubling of company support available for customers who are struggling to pay and now, more than 2 million households are accessing this help.”

Independent Age Policy Manager David Southgate said, “Across England and Wales, older people on low incomes have seen their budgets decimated by rising water bills. Today’s announcement of further bill increases will only deepen their financial difficulties. We regularly hear from people in later life who are making extreme cutbacks to reduce their water costs, including not flushing the toilet, limiting how much laundry they do, and washing in sinks rather than bathing or showering.

“The recent water white paper was a huge missed opportunity for the UK Government to address this issue by introducing a national social tariff for water. This would help protect customers on low incomes from rising bills. A standardised social tariff would also end the postcode lottery that currently blights the system. Where you live should not determine how much support you receive. Water is an essential part of life, it should not be an unaffordable luxury.”

Regional breakdown of average household bills for 2026-27:

Water and wastewater companies	2026-27	Change (£)	Change (%)
Anglian Water	£674	£44	7%
Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water)	£683	£31	5%
Hafren Dyfrdwy	£635	£54	9%
Northumbrian Water	£535	£31	6%
Severn Trent Water	£587	£52	10%
South West Water	£740	£39	6%
Southern Water	£759	£55	8%
Thames Water	£658	£3	0.4%
United Utilities	£660	£57	9%
Wessex Water	£695	£17	3%
Yorkshire Water	£636	£34	6%
Water-only companies	2026-27	Change (£)	Change (%)
Affinity Water [Central region]	£266	£31	13%
Affinity Water [East region]	£280	£1	0.4%
Affinity Water [South east region]	£294	£3	1%
Bournemouth Water	£205	£11	6%
Bristol Water	£264	£29	12%
Essex and Suffolk Water	£333	£15	5%
Portsmouth Water	£162	£13	8%
South East Water	£324	£21	7%
South Staffs Water [Cambridge region]	£210	£7	3%
South Staffs Water [South Staffs region]	£230	£6	2%
Sutton & East Surrey Water	£257	£26	11%
National Average	£639	£33	5.4%