6 April 2006
The average household water bill is set to rise to its highest levels since 1989 following increases that came into effect across England and Wales at the start of April, according to uSwitch.com.
UK households will see an average increase in their water bills of 5.5%, the website said.
The company also criticised the fact that almost a third of consumers were facing water restrictions while 3.6 billion litres of water is lost by water companies a day.
"Despite continual warnings of water shortages throughout the country, two of the nation's biggest suppliers, Thames Water and United Utilities, have failed to meet their leakage targets for the last five years," said Alan Tattersall, director of home services at uSwitch.com.
"However, this hasn't stopped them passing on the biggest price increases possible allowed under Ofwat."
Despite not being able to switch water suppliers, Mr Tattersall said that there was a way consumers might be able to cut their water bill.
"Whilst you can't switch your water provider, you can look into the possibility of installing a water meter. This accurately measures the amount of water used and provides a pay as you go method, which in turn could save you money," he added.
See how much you could save on your water bill with uSwitch.com
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