Millions of customers face huge annual bill hikes of up to £279 under proposals – would you be affected?
MILLIONS of customers face huge annual bill hikes of more than £200 under new proposals.
Southern Water is proposing to charge customers an extra £279 a year on their bills by 2030, documents from a focus group reveal.
Under the plans, which account for inflation, each household would have to pay on average 73% more compared with today – a total of £759 a year.
Throughout the five years of the plan, they would have to find £959 more than if bills stayed at the same price as today.
In the documents, Southern Water said its regulatory commitment is to reduce sewage spills by 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.
It said for this it needs to charge £30 per household, which totals £750 million.
Southern Water provides water to 2.6 million customers and wastewater services to 4.6 million customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
At the moment the bill hikes are just a proposal, and they have not yet been confirmed.
The plans are part of a wider programme of research before it submits its proposals to industry regulator Ofwat in October.
Southern Water said that the figures do not include discounts of least 45% to around 125,000 households in financial hardship.
It comes after the average combined water bill rose from £417 to £448 in April, according to Water UK.
Different areas of the country have a water company assigned to them, and they’re responsible for setting the costs of bills and rises.
Unfortunately, you can’t simply switch to another one when you’re unhappy like you can with other utilities.
But that doesn’t mean water companies can just set whatever prices they like – they have to follow strict rules set by the regulator.
The exact price you pay is also down to how much water you use and if you have a water meter to record your usage or not.
Your total water bill also covers sewage costs in the area as well as just the costs of treating water and having it supplied to your home.
It’s split roughly in half between the sewage and water cost.
How can I save money on my water bills?
There’s a number of ways you can slash your water bills in 2023.
Moving to a water meter could help some save some extra cash.
However, if you do use a lot of water then it makes no sense to have a meter as your bills could go up.
The Consumer Council for Water offers a free water meter calculator that’ll tell you if you can save by fitting a water meter.
For example, if you have a big family and more people than bedrooms or simply use lots of water-intensive appliances like washing machines or dishwashers, a fixed fee will be better for you.
Having a water meter doesn’t help with the standard charge that’s based on where you live either, but it can help you cut down the costs of your personal usage at home.
Part of that is how long you spend in the shower too.
According to Uswitch, you could cut £70 from your energy bills and reduce your water bills too by reducing your wash time.
And leaving the water running while you brush your teeth could add £60 a year to your bills says Octopus.
The same goes for washing dishes, be sure you turn the tap off as if you’re doing it in the sink, leaving it running will add £25 to your annual bill.
Fixing leaks in the home is another. A leaky loo can waste between 215 and 400 litres of water per day.
Making sure you only use your washing machine or dishwasher when they are fully loaded helps too.
Plus, switching to an aerated shower head could save a household of four £75 on their energy bills and £45 on their water bills every year, Water UK estimates.
Many water companies offer free water-saving devices that shave pounds off your bills too – which can slash your bills by hundreds every year.
Contact your supplier or check out savewatersavemoney.co.uk.
In other news, a plumber has revealed a simple settings change that could save you £100s on your bill.
Plus, hundreds of thousands of struggling households could get up to £50 in extra help towards their water bills.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk