Water bills to rise above inflation in April

Water companies anticipate an above-inflation increase in average household bills in April, leading to criticism from campaigners. The trade body Water UK predicts a 6% rise in the average annual water and sewerage bill in England and Wales, reaching £473, an increase of £27. 

In Scotland, water and waste charges will see an 8.8% increase, amounting to a rise of £36. The water firms have faced heightened scrutiny due to incidents involving the discharge of sewage into rivers.

“Next year will see record levels of investment from water companies to secure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas,” said David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK.

He said companies in England and Wales would invest more than £14.4bn in the next financial year, the highest annual investment on record.