Frustration and worry among households over soaring water bills saw the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) receive the highest number of complaints about water companies in almost a decade.

South Staffs Water has launched a new tariff offering a 60% discount for metered customers with a household income of £22,011 to £27,000 on the essential water they use every day.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is warning that fewer households believe the amount water companies charge is fair, with customers’ overall trust in the sector also hitting a new low, according to its annual Water Matters survey released today.

Yorkshire Water is hosting more roadshows in April to offer customers advice on bill support - including helping customers to understand if they can reduce their water bills and receive immediate financial support.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is warning that millions of households now face an anxious wait to see whether they could face even steeper water bill rises after six companies choose to contest Ofwat’s price caps for the next five years.

Yorkshire Water has announced an increase in average customer bills of £135 (28.9%) in 2025-26, around £11 per month. All customers will be contacted directly with the exact details of their bill through the normal billing cycle which begins in February.

Scottish Water has announced that average monthly household bills will rise by £3.68 per month or £44 per year from 1 April 2025 – an increase of 9.9% in charges.

Average annual water and sewerage bills in England and Wales are set to rise by £123 from £480 to £603 in April – an increase of 26% on the previous year.

New data released by Ofwat shows that the total debt for household water bills across England and Wales for households amounts to over £2 billion. As of March 2024, approximately 8.2% of household customers were in payment arrears, with the average amount owed to their water company being approximately £822.

Improving water bill reductions for single people living with medical conditions which rely on higher levels of water use is among a raft of sweeping changes to the WaterSure support scheme, being proposed by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).