More than 2.3 million customers across England and Wales received help through water social tariffs in the year to April, an increase of nearly 380,000 – or almost a fifth – compared with the previous year, according to new data from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
The average reduction has risen sharply from £190 a year to £258, although the level of help varies widely depending on where people live. Reductions range from an average of £159 to £474.
Call for a national social tariff
CCW has repeated its call for a single national social tariff for water to lift around 1.8 million households out of water poverty.
Every water company in England and Wales offers a social tariff designed to reduce bills for those on low incomes, but who is eligible and the level of support varies depending on the supplier.
WaterSure scheme details
Separately, CCW said 273,400 customers received an average bill reduction of £428 through the WaterSure scheme, which caps the water and sewerage bill of customers receiving income-related benefits.
With average water and sewage bills having surged by more than 30% to £639 in the past two years, households struggling with soaring costs have been urged to seek help, with the possibility of almost wiping out the entire bill in some cases.
Examples of supplier schemes
Thames Water, the largest supplier in England and Wales, runs a scheme called WaterHelp. It applies to those whose water bill is more than 5% of their income after housing costs, disability benefits and council tax, and is also dependent on the number of occupants at the property. For those who qualify, WaterHelp currently offers a discount of between 25% and 99% on bills, although Thames says this amount may change in the future.
Severn Trent’s scheme, Big Difference, is for households whose income is less than £24,454, with households with child dependants potentially eligible for an additional income allowance in excess of this. Successful applicants receive a minimum discount of £117 and a maximum of £764.
The WaterSure scheme is a government scheme that caps the water bills of households on a water meter who use a lot of water, possibly because of a medical condition or having a large family. More than 220,000 households in England and Wales get help through the scheme, with average annual bill savings in excess of £300.
To qualify, a household must receive Universal Credit, housing benefit, or Pension Credit, and one of the following must apply: living with three or more children aged under 19, or a medical condition that means a lot of water is used, such as needing to shower frequently. Those who qualify can contact their water company to apply.
In February this year, the government announced changes to the scheme to increase both the number of households eligible and the level of support, with the changes expected to come into force next year.
