Can you cut your water bills?

But the latest hike in household bills is even more of a wrench as, while you might be happy to suffer a cold house in a bid to beat energy price hikes, when it comes to water it’s more difficult to cut back on usage. 

Also, you can’t switch your water supplier in the same way you can switch your energy supplier as – quite simply – water doesn’t travel that far so will have to come from your local water company. However, there are other things you can do to make sure you’re paying for your water in the most efficient way possible. 

Here’s a look at why water rates are going up, as well as how you can fight back and keep the costs down. 

Why are prices rising?

According to Ofwat, the average household water bill in England and Wales is forecast to increase by around £31 from April 2023, taking the average total up to £448. 

The increases are designed to help pay for a £70 billion investment programme over the next few years, which promises improvements to the country’s water infrastructure. This includes work to end overflows into rivers – something that will be widely welcomed after the recent sewage dumping scandal. 

The investment will pay for work to maintain storm overflows, and increase water supplies by building new reservoirs and creating national water transfer schemes. For example, refurbishing canals so they can be used to bring water from the north to the south of England. This will help to safeguard against future drought and climate change. 

The higher prices came into effect from April 1 and will vary, depending on your supplier and whether or not you have a water meter.

What can I do about it?

You can’t switch provider or use a lot less water than you need, but there are ways of keeping water bills fair, or at least offsetting the cost elsewhere. 

Almost half of homes in England and Wales have a water meter, where you only pay for the water you use. (There’s an old rule of thumb which says if there are more bedrooms than people in your home, you’ll probably benefit from switching to a water meter.) 

The amount you could save will vary depending on your household’s usage and your water company. The Consumer Council for Water (CCFW) has a free calculator which will tell you if you’d benefit from installing a meter. 

If you think a water meter might be right for you, contact your water supplier to arrange a home assessment. Most English and Welsh homes are entitled to a free water meter, but water companies can refuse to install one for free if your home makes installation impractical, or unreasonably expensive. 

If a water meter won’t work…

Water meters won’t be the cheaper option for every household, though. In fact, larger families could actually be worse off on a water meter. 

In that case, you can try to reduce your consumption in a number of ways. There are tons of companies giving away free water-saving widgets which fit easily to your shower heads, taps and toilet cisterns. Visit your water supplier’s website for details. 

Then of course there are the classics, like taking short showers instead of baths. Water Wise says a four-minute shower will use 32 litres of water, whereas the average bath will hold 80 litres. 

If you’re using a dishwasher, make sure you’re loading it as efficiently as possible and not using washing a half-full load. Also, modern dishwashers are made to deal with a certain level of dinner debris, so don’t waste too much water pre-rinsing plates, dishes and pans. 

Support with your water bills

If you can’t possibly bring your water bills down any more, it’s worth checking if you’re eligible for any of the support schemes that are available to help with the water price hikes. 

The Water Sure scheme helps households on low incomes, who need to use a lot of water for essential family or health reasons. If you qualify for the scheme, your water bill will be capped, so you won’t be charged any more than the average metered bill for your area. 

You can also get practical support through the Priority Services Register. This is designed to help a wide range of people, from those with health or mobility difficulties, to parents with young babies. This support includes getting your bills in a more accessible format, getting more notice of planned interruptions to the water supply, or reading your meter for you if you find this difficult. If you think this kind of support would help you, contact your water company to find out more.  

You can find more information about the help available from water companies at the Support on Tap campaign, which is run by Water UK and the Consumer Council for Water.  

Please note: Any rates or support schemes mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing.

Kate Hughes:

We use far more water than we believe – around 120 litres per person per day – one of the highest volumes in Europe. So keeping a tight lid on our usage, especially now that more of us have water meters, will reduce pressure on our pockets and on our much-loved environment. Meanwhile, lets continue to hold the companies that call us their ‘important customers’ to account.