Households urged to act now to dilute the impact of April water bill rises

Households still have time to steal a march on ‘Awful April’s’ wave of bill rises through simple actions, which could help shave hundreds of pounds off water and energy costs.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is sharing advice to help cash-strapped households take some of the heat out of rising costs including water, energy, broadband and council tax.

The consumer body is concerned many of the most vulnerable households will struggle to cope with next month’s ‘perfect storm’ of bill rises. Water bills alone are set to increase by an average of £123 (+26%) a year from 1 April, with some households facing even steeper rises depending on their water company and individual circumstances.

But while bills are rising so is the amount of financial support on offer from water companies for those who will struggle to pay and CCW says there is still time for households to stay one step ahead of the increases.

A recent study by CCW found the support provided by water companies through schemes like social tariffs had made a significant difference to those who received it, but many households remain unaware of existing help or are too afraid to ask.

Andy White, Senior Leader for Social Policy at CCW, said:

It’s deeply troubling that more than 2 in 5 customers have told us they are already reducing their spending on essentials like food and heating just to try and keep on top of household bills.

Rising water and energy costs can leave customers feeling powerless, but water companies have a broad range of schemes like social tariffs which can significantly reduce the bills of those struggling to pay. Other steps like checking to see if you might be better off on a water meter or making small changes to your use of hot water can also save hundreds of pounds.

CCW’s top tips to reduce bills and access support include:

See if you’re eligible for a cut-price social tariff: More than 1.6 million low-income households are currently receiving cheaper bills through water companies’ social tariffs. Eligibility and the level of support varies from company to company, but the average annual saving is around £160. CCW has a guide to these tariffs on its website.

Trial a water meter: Nearly 2 in 5 households in England and Wales still don’t have a water meter and some of these would benefit from switching. Not everyone will be better off with a meter but for some households the savings can be considerable. And, unless you live in a region where metering is compulsory, you can trial a meter for up to two years and switch back during that time if you are unhappy. CCW’s water meter calculator can help you work out if you might save with a meter.

Check if you qualify for WaterSure. This is a scheme which can help cap the water bills of some metered customers who are in receipt of certain benefits and need to use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because of the number of children in the household. More than 230,000 customers benefitted from the scheme last year with an average bill saving of around £286.

Reduce your use to save water, energy and money. Much of the water we use in the home comes from the hot tap. That means if you have a water meter you can double up on water and energy savings too. If every person in a family of four reduced their daily shower time by two minutes they could save nearly £220 a year (water and energy combined).

Water companies also offer a range of other support from payment breaks to debt write-off schemes. And CCW’s website now features a Better Off Calculator to help customers identify wider benefits and support they may be entitled to.