Water bills to rise by 26% from April

30th January 2025 Banking and Loans | #water bills

The average annual water bill in England and Wales will rise by 26% or £123 in the next financial year according figures analysed by Water UK. Water companies have committed extra money for investment in infrastructure, such as reservoirs, and more help for struggling customers. To fund these new levels of affordability support and investment,…

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CCW sets out blueprint for water bill support 

9th January 2025 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Improving water bill reductions for single people living with medical conditions which rely on higher levels of water use is among a raft of sweeping changes to the WaterSure support scheme, being proposed by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). The consumer watchdog CCW has submitted six main recommendations to the UK and Welsh governments, aimed at…

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Water bills to rise by 36%

19th December 2024 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Ofwat has announced that water bills are set to rise by an average of £31 per year (36%) over the next five years from April. The water regulator has said the increase was enough for water companies in England and Wales to pay for upgrades and reduce sewage discharges. The increase is higher than the…

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Two in five households say they will find it difficult to afford water bills

7th November 2024 Arrears and Recoveries | #water bills

Two in five households across England and Wales say they will find it difficult to afford the increases to water bills being proposed by the regulator Ofwat. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has published the findings of an in-depth study of 9,500 households. It gauged billpayers’ views on the regulator’s draft decisions to allow water companies to…

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Water bills a constant struggle for many people in later life

38% of older people (65+) living on a low household income (under £15k per year) in England and 29% in Wales are either finding it a constant struggle – or a struggle from time to time – to keep up with their water bills, according to new research by Independent Age.  The charity has teamed…

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Water bills to rise by £94 in the next five years

Water regulator Ofwat has announce that water bills in England and Wales are set to rise by an average £94 over the next five years. The average bill increase for water and wastewater companies will be £19 a year over five years (£94 in total), excluding inflation. Companies’ business plans proposed increases averaging £144 over…

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Water companies can now be fined for poor customer service

13th February 2024 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Ofwat has announced that water companies face fines for poor customer service, which could see the regulator impose fines of up to 10% of the company’s turnover. Ofwat expects all water companies to be focused on delivering a high level of customer service – from resolving complaints to making sure customers are informed and supported…

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Water bills to rise 6% from April

2nd February 2024 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Average water bills are set to rise by 6% in April to around £473 annually for combined services according to suppliers’ trade body Water UK. Water UK said, was below inflation and represents a real-term reduction since 2019, however, consumer body CCW urged the sector to go further in support of households struggling to pay.…

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Water bill support missed by two million households

14th December 2023 Consumer Collections | #water bills

Millions of eligible householders are not receiving financial support that is available through their water company due to low awareness, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). The water watchdog has urged low-income households are not to miss out on financial support from their water company to help absorb the impact of looming energy…

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Water bills to rise by 7.5%

3rd February 2023 Consumer Collections | #water bills

The annual bill for an average household in England and Wales will hit £448, industry body Water UK has said. The 7.5% increase means customers will mean that bills will rise by an average of £31 to £448 a year. It has also been announced that support for low-income households will also be increased to…

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Water bill rise could be a tipping point for one in five

2nd February 2023 Arrears and Recoveries | #water bills

The largest rise in the average household water and sewerage bill for almost 20 years could prove a tipping point for the one in five customers already struggling to pay. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW), the independent voice of water consumers, has issued the warning in response to Water UK confirming the average household…

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Water companies’ efforts to ease cost of living pressures welcomed

27th January 2023 Arrears and Recoveries | #water bills

Information from Ofwat and CCW has shown that water companies are increasing financial support for their customers, with record numbers benefiting from discounted water bills. However, both organisations are calling on companies to do even more to help in the face of immediate and urgent cost of living pressures. In October 2022, Ofwat and CCW…

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Water companies urged to ramp up bills support

19th October 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #water bills

Ofwat and CCW have asked water company executives to set out how they will support households struggling with affordability, particularly as inflation hits customers who would not be eligible for social tariff or other financial support mechanisms. In a joint letter to water and wastewater company CEOs, David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat and Emma…

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