1 March 2007
A large number of British consumers will notice their water bills have become more expensive from April 1st, though the reasons behind the price increase depend on where you live.
According to a report in the Metro, a variety of water suppliers are giving different excuses for why they felt the need to up the cost of the utility.
For example, Anglian Water customers, who will pay an additional £28 per year, have been told that the increase is because the surrounding area is flat and water is more expensive to transport if there are no hills and dales where gravity can help to push it along.
South West water users however, have been told that their £44 increase for this year was because there were too few customers and the fact that they were "a relatively small population spread across a wide area" necessitated more funds being spent on water distribution.
Confusingly, Mid Kent Water had the exact opposite excuse for its £11 rise, stating that the "growing population" had resulted in the supplier being forced to fork out more money to pay for additional piping and pumps and that sadly, the extra costs had to be passed on to the consumer.
And it appears that the industry regulator Ofwat has chosen to back its suppliers, with Chief Executive Regina Finn telling the Metro: "These increases are essential."
If you don't have a water meter installed, you could be paying over the odds for your bills. uSwitch.com can help you work out your usage and see if installing a water meter could help you save money. Read our water saving tips too.
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