1m pensioners face rising tide of water poverty

Many families don’t think twice about doing laundry, having a warm shower, or washing dishes.

But every drop of water can matter for many on a low income as the expense of water bills can make these everyday activities feel like tough choices.

 According to an alarming new report by charity Independent Age, nearly one million pensioners will be facing this reality by 2029/30.

Yvonne’s story

Yvonne is 79 and lives in social housing in the south east of England.

She has a small state pension and relies on pension credit for extra help with her income.

Yvonne tries to keep her water bill down by flushing the toilet less, using shorter washing machine cycles and not leaving taps running.

She can just about manage the cost of her water bill at the moment, but Yvonne’s worried about higher prices in the future as she no longer works.

Because her income won’t increase, she’ll need to find extra savings elsewhere, which makes her anxious about the risk of water poverty.

Yvonne says: “I’m worried sick. I can manage now, but if prices rise too much, I’ll end up in water poverty, just like I’m in fuel poverty.”

What is water poverty?

Water poverty means spending over 3% of your income, after paying for housing, on water bills.

In 2022/23, about 750,000 pensioner households were affected.

A YouGov poll found that 66% of older people in England, earning under £15,000, would struggle with a 20% rise in their water bills.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, says that nearly one million older households could face water poverty in the next five years without immediate action.

“This situation is unacceptable,” she says.

Reducing water usage

The research shows that 40% of older people on low incomes are trying to use less water by limiting how often they:

• wash their clothes (45%)
• flush the toilet (44%)
• boil the kettle (30%)
• take showers (28%)

Proposed solutions

Water companies provide social tariffs for low-income households, but these vary between providers.

This leads to some older people facing more difficulties based on where they live. Independent Age is pushing for one standard social water tariff across England and Wales.

They’ve suggested four ideas to help alleviate water poverty levels:

• a fixed bill reduction
• a percentage discount
• a daily block of free water
• a bill cap

A standard social tariff for water in England and Wales could lift between 292,000 and 578,000 older people out of water poverty by making sure all households receive the same support, no matter where they live.

Encouragingly, 73% of older people in England and 72% in Wales support this idea.

Get help with your water bill

If you're having trouble paying your water bill, here’s what you can do:

Contact your water company

Get in touch with your water supplier as soon as possible.

Talk to them about your situation and see if they can set up a payment plan for you.

They might have flexible options or other ways to help reduce your debt.

Financial support

Check if your water supplier provides a hardship fund, which can help those in need.

Ask your supplier about any available support or check the Consumer Council for Water for more information.

If you use a lot of water for health reasons or have several children in school, you could get support from the WaterSure scheme.

Check here to see if you qualify.

Create a budget

Creating a budget helps you understand your income and expenses. This way, you can see how much you can pay.

Our free budgeting tool can help you spot where you can save money or find extra income for your water bill.

Water Direct

If you receive certain benefits, you might be able to pay your water bill directly from them using a service called Water Direct.

Priority services register

If you're vulnerable, you might be able to get extra help from your water supplier by joining the priority services register.

Check what makes you eligible and how to sign up.