Water bills are going up for a large number of water users in England in April 2025.
The rise in England (this is for England, not Scotland) is one of the steepest increases in years. Your exact rise depends on where in the country you are, and which water region you're in.
With the exception of some people who are living in Surrey or South London, where it's going down by around 2%, the minimum rise is 19% this year on your water bills, and the rising cost of water can be another added pressure to families who are already struggling to pay their bills due to other rising costs such as increased energy prices.
What can you do if your water bills are going to increase?
The number one big question is, should you have a water meter?
Your water bills are based on the rateable value of your home and are based on your house's rate value all the way back to 1989! This rateable value is a proxy for how much your house can be rented out for, and rented out for is a proxy for how much your house is valued. The most significant factor in determining the rateable value of your home is the number of bedrooms you have in your home. This also determines your water bill because if you've got lots of bedrooms, then you've likely got lots of people living in the house, which means more people using water for drinking, washing, and increasing the water companies' wastewater services.
So if you've got a five-bedroom property and there's only two of you living in there, you don't really want your water bill to be measured on the value of your house, you want it to be measured on how much water you use. Equally, if eight of you live in a two-bedroom property, you'd prefer it to be measured on the value of your house!
Therefore, when you look at whether you should have a water meter installed in your home, it's a good guide to use as a rule of thumb for looking at if you have the same number of bedrooms in your house as people. If you have less people in your home compared to the number of bedrooms, then it's likely you'll save money on your water bill by having a meter installed, you could save hundreds of pound a year by getting a meter put into your property. The more water you use, the more you'd prefer to have an estimated bill, as you'll likely find it a cheaper option. The less amount of water you use, perhaps a single person living in a larger house, the more financially beneficial it would be to have a water meter installed, as you only pay for exactly how much water you use, not an estimate of what a water company think you'll use.
The ccw.org website has a handy free calculator that you can use to help you determine if a water meter is going to work better for you than not using one. Once you've changed your water meter in most areas, as long as you've changed voluntarily, and you've not been told you you have to have one, and you've got no choice, you normally have up to two years or your second bill to change back to not having a water meter if it's not working for you. Not every water company allows you to do this, so you might want to check that for your specific water company.
What if you want a water meter but have been told you can't have one?
In some situations, even if you want one, it may not be possible to have one fitted. A good example might be that you live in a flat, and it's not practical to have one fitted. If this is the case, you can ask for an assessed charge. An assessed charge is where your water company will look at your property and your water use as an unmetered customer and will work out what you would pay as an estimated bill compared to what you'd likely pay if you were using a water meter. They'll then work out a yearly cost of your services for both options. If you'd pay £600 a year, for example, using a water meter and £450 on a regular bill, then you have the choice of choosing which of the two options you'd prefer and would choose the cheapest one. This is your assessed charge. Your water provider has assessed your water options, and you haveSavewar had the opportunity to decide how you'd like to be billed.
How can I save money on my water bill? When it comes to reducing your bill, you don't really have many options; you can't barter with your water provider; the rate structure you get charged isn't negotiable; you have to pay! That said, you can help reduce the amount of water you use, which will have the knock-on effect of lowering your bills.
The save water save money website offers you ways to order free water saving devices, from your water provider. What is available depends on your water supplier, but it's a helpful site that can offer you items such as hand showers with lower water flow rates or bags you put into your toilet cistern, which will reduce the amount of water needed to fill up your cistern, which will reduce the amount of water you use, which in turn lowers your water costs. It also has a knock-on effect on your energy costs as well, especially for devices that use hot water, such as your shower, because if you use less water, that you'd have to pay to heat up, then you don't use as much energy to heat that water and in turn your energy bills go down s well, so it's a double whammy of savings!
Social tariffs for your water bill.
According to Martin Lewis, over 5 million homes in the UK could have saved money by applying for a social tariff from their water provider but haven't.
What's a social tariff?
A social tariff is a scheme for those who qualify, where the home receives a discounted water service from their water provider. The social tariff scheme can help reduce your bills if you’re on a low income.
Who is eligible for help, and what is the level of support?
This depends on your water company. As an example, for my area, my water company offers:
If your total household income (excluding any disability and housing payment you receive) is between £17,000 and £21,000, you will receive a 30% reduction on your water bill.
If your household income is less than £17,000, you will receive a 50% reduction on your bill.
Some water companies offer up to 90% reductions on your costs. You can find your water company, and a quick guide as to the reduced rates here.
As a rough guide, you'll normally need to be receiving:
Income support
Income-related employment and support allowance
Income-based job seeker’s allowance
Universal credit
Working tax credit
Child tax credit
Housing benefit
Council tax reduction/support
Pension credit
or for low-income households with an income of less than £21,500. For some schemes, you'll only be considered if you are in arrears on your water bills. Each water company have their own rules, so the scheme can vary greatly depending on where you live.
You'll find more information on all the schemes, which include options such as payment breaks, hardship funds, payment plans and debt support schemes on the CCW website. It'll also give you info on the WaterSure scheme, which is for people who are on benefits and have an essential need to use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because your household has a certain number of school-age children (normally a minimum of 3 under the age of 19). You also need to be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed. This capped charge means you'll not pay more than the average bill of people using a water meter in your area, and so for some people, it can be a way to save a significant amount of money on their water.
People who have one of the following medical conditions will automatically qualify for WaterSure, as long as they meet all the other qualifying conditions:
desquamation (flaky skin disease)
weeping skin disease (eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration)
incontinence
abdominal stomas
renal failure requiring dialysis at home - although you won't qualify for WaterSure if you're already getting a contribution to your water costs from the NHS
Crohn's disease
ulcerative colitis
Sadly, the latest rise in water charges is only the first of five years worth of planned water increases. This year has the highest yearly charge, with the next four years upping prices at a lower percentage rate, but overall, you can expect to find your water bills being upped by around 38%, on average, over the next half-decade, so if you can find ways to lower your water costs, it's a good time to do it!
As a water consumer, you can obtain impartial advice and guidance via CCW. You can contact them between 08:30 and 5pm, Monday through Friday, 0300 034 2222 (England), 0300 034 3333 (Wales).