Average UK water bills 2024: millions set for bill increase

Average water bills are set to increase by £27.40 from April 2024 but some households will see their payments rise by up to £61, the water industry has confirmed.

Ofwat, the regulator for the sector, confirmed that households will pay an extra £2.30 a month on average as a result of the 6.1% increase to water bills for the 2024/25 financial year. 

This is despite water suppliers being told to hand back money to households they supply by the regulator, as a result of missing targets on areas such as reducing pollution, leakages and general customer service satisfaction.

Without that enforcement action, water firms would have looked to hike bills even further.

For example, Thames Water ‒ the worst offender ‒ was told to hand back a whopping £73.7 million, around three times more than the second-hardest hit supplier, Anglia Water.

How water bills are changing in 2024

The average UK water bill in England and Wales increased by around £31 to a typical £448 for the current 2023/24 financial year, so this will be the second consecutive sizeable hike to bills

It’s worth noting that this is just the average change though, with the actual adjustment to your bill varying based on where you live and your water supplier.

Water UK has justified the coming hike by outlining its plans for investment, with £14.4 billion set to be spent in the next financial year, the largest amount on record.

It also highlighted that a record two billion households are receiving some sort of help with their bills, nearly double the number from last year. 

In this article, we'll show the price announced by each region's water provider, explain how the average bill is calculated and reveal how you can reduce your water bill – even if you don't use a water meter.

Finally, if you're struggling to cover your bills, here's where you can get help with water bill debt.

Average UK bills in your area

As the table below demonstrates, there are some huge variances in how people’s bills will be changing from April.

If you’re a Hafren Dyfrdwy customer you will have seen bills jump by more than 16% or £61, while there were also noticeable increases for Southern and Wessex customers.

By contrast, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water customers will actually see their bills go down.

Check the table below for the average UK water bill where you live.

Please note, we’ve only included suppliers that provide both water and sewerage services.

How is the average water bill calculated?

Your water usage may not actually have much correlation with your water bill.

That’s certainly the case if you don’t have a water meter. In this instance, your bill will be made up of a fixed charge (which covers things like admin) and a charge based on the ‘rateable value’ of your home.

This is the local authority’s assessment of the rental value of your property.

Unfortunately, these ratings took place between 1973 and 1990, so they're not exactly up to date.

You can’t appeal if you think the rateable value is too high either. Your bill is out of your hands and completely unrelated to your actual water use.

Good news if you use a lot of it, but not so good if you don’t.

In which case, you might want to switch to a metered bill. This means your bill will be made up of a fixed charge and a volumetric charge, covering your exact use.

Whether this means your bill goes down or up really is in your control.

To see if a water meter might save you some cash, try your provider's water meter calculator. 

Switching to a water meter doesn’t have to be a permanent move either. You can switch back to unmetered bills within the first 12 months, so why not give it a try?

If your bills go up, just switch back!

Can I cut my water bill?

If you are on a water meter, then there are things you can do to reduce your bills.

Simple steps like taking a shower rather than a bath, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and fixing leaky taps can all make a difference.

Most water companies offer widgets and gadgets to help you cut your water use. Many are free too so be sure to check out your provider’s site.

Even if you aren't on a water bill, it is still possible to make a saving by taking out a reward current account, which pays cashback on a range of household bills, including water bills.

Admittedly, your savings won't be massive, but when your options for cutting bills are limited then every saving helps.

Read the best current accounts for rewards and cashback for more options.

Want to save even more? Slashing your other monthly costs couldn't be easier. Have a look at our simple guides to cutting your grocery costs and saving on your petrol/diesel costs. 

Want more stories like this? Visit loveMONEY homepage or sign up for our daily newsletter and let us send the news to you!