Water companies want to rinse us with 84% bill hike

Water companies are asking for bills to be hiked even higher than they first requested earlier this year with one company seeking an increase of 84 per cent.

- HOWARD MUSTOE

The latest requests would see the average bill for customers in England and Wales rise by 40 per cent between now and 2030, to £615 a year. Utilities including beleaguered Thames Water have applied to the regulator, Ofwat, to hike tariffs so they can upgrade their networks, often after years of underinvestment.

The increases will also pay for higher energy costs since pumping water around the country uses plenty of power, as does treating sewage. Energy costs make up around a tenth of water companies’ costs. Southern Water wants bills to rise the most from today’s prices, by 84 per cent, while Thames Water is asking for a 53 per cent rise. Only one company, Wessex Water, is not demanding higher bills than first requested.

Downing Street said that “no one wants to see a situation where water bills are rising” but stressed that as a regulator, Ofwat was independent of government.