40% households worried about paying water bills amid upcoming rises

Millions of households in England and Wales are set to face skyrocketing water bills, a report has revealed.

With an average rise of £19 a year between 2025 and 2030, many are left wondering how they'll manage.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has sounded the alarm, saying that many people are already struggling to pay their bills.

The impact of rising water bills

The water regulator, Ofwat, has been at the centre of negotiations with water companies about these potential hikes.

The CCW surveyed 9,500 households across 19 water company areas and found:

• 18% of respondents are already struggling with their water bills
• 40% are worried they won’t be able to afford the upcoming rises

The CCW's chief executive, Mike Keil, has said that higher billscould place an "intolerable strain" on millions of households.

"It’s quite frightening the extent to which water affordability is going to affect people in the future."

How households plan to cope

Many households are already working out how they’ll cover these bill increases:

• 54% say they’ll cut back on non-essential spending
• 43% plan to use less water
• 38% might scale back on food shopping and other essential purchases

It’s clear that rising water bills could lead to some tough choices for families. Having to prioritise water over food shopping is a situation no one should have to face.

Support for struggling households

Water companies have said they want to increase support for struggling households so they can protect vulnerable customers.

But the current system of support is a "postcode lottery," as help varies hugely from one company to another.

The CCW wants to bring in a single social tariff that would apply across England and Wales to make sure support is distributed more fairly.

Keil says that a central fund for the single social tariff would effectively tackle water poverty.

Get help with your water bill

If you're struggling to pay your water bill, read on to find out what steps you can take to manage the situation.

Contact your water company

Reach out to your water supplier as soon as possible to discuss your circumstances and explore options like payment plans.

They may be able to offer flexible payment arrangements or other ways to help you manage your debt.

Financial support

Check whether your water company offers a hardship fund to help those struggling to pay their bills.

Ask your suppliers what help is available or check with CWW.

If you use a lot of water for medical reasons or have several school-age children, you might be able to get help from the WaterSure scheme. Check here if you could be eligible.

Create a budget

Making a budget lets you assess your income and expenses to figure out how much you can afford to pay.

You can use our free budgeting tool to identify areas where you can cut back or find additional income to put towards your water bill.

Water direct

If you get certain benefits, you may be able to have your water bill paid directly from your benefits through water direct.

Priority services register

If you're vulnerable, you might be able to get extra support from your water supplier by signing up for the priority services register.

Find out what qualifies you as being vulnerable and how to sign up.