Water bills to see little change

Friday, November 27th 2009

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills remain largely flat over the next five years, according to Ofwat.

The industry regulator said the average annual bill will fall by £3 to £340 by 2015, with charges set to be ten per cent lower than the changes requested by water companies before it made its final decision.

However, customers with some companies will see their water and sewerage bills rise by as much as 13 per cent over this period.

Northumbria, Southern, Thames and Wessex water customers will experience rises, while Anglian, Dwr Cymru and Severn Trent will benefit from some of the biggest decreases in costs.

Responding to the figures, Dame Yve Buckland, chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said that the costs will be "acceptable" for most people, although research shows that one-fifth of customers do not believe their water bills are affordable at present.