Water bills set for 5.7pc hike says watchdog
WATER and sewerage bills are to rise by around £20 from April, Ofwat said yesterday.
The average household bill in England and Wales will be hiked by 5.7 per cent to £376, the industry watchdog revealed.
The rise, 0.5 percentage points above inflation, comes as water companies prepare to invest as much as £22bn over the next five years.
But Ofwat insists that it would have been worse, had it not challenged the companies’ proposed bill rises.
London water bills are set to rise by an inflation-beating 6.7 per cent this year to reach an average of £339, according to figures for Thames Water.
The price rise would to some extent wipe out the reductions in gas bills recently announced by a string of major energy companies and heap more pressure on already stretched household finances.
Ofwat said: “We understand that any bill rise is unwelcome, particularly in tough economic times. We will make sure customers get value for money.”