29 March 2007
A rising tide of water costs is to hit consumers this year, with bills set to increase by an average of seven per cent, or £20, from April 1st, uSwitch.com has found.
No less than 23 of 24 suppliers will be raising their water prices this year, with only one company cutting its charges, bringing the average annual bill to £312 in 2007, compared to £303 in 2006.
Customers expected to suffer the most are those with South West Water, which will raise its prices by over 10% and Thames Water, which could increase its bills by up to 50% in the next ten years if plans for a new £2 billion sewerage system in London come to fruition.
Price rises such as these will be handed to consumers despite Britain's water companies reporting profits of £2.6 billion in the 2005-06 financial year.
Many customers will also have to put up with paying higher bills while receiving an inadequate service. Since April 3rd 2006, almost 6.2 million households have been subject to water restrictions from their supplier.
"Householders across the UK will quite rightly be wondering why they are being expected to pay even more for a service that is clearly substandard," said Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com.
"The average household in England and Wales is now looking at having to spend, on average, over £100 a month just to provide the essentials of heating, light and water."
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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