Households in England and Wales face an average increase of £33 in their annual water bills from April, pushing the typical cost to £639 – a rise of 5.4%. The increases are part of the broader 'awful April' round of price hikes that will add over £200 to annual household bills overall.
The steepest rise comes from Severn Trent Water, which is increasing charges by 10%, while Thames Water customers will see the smallest hike of just 0.4% – though this follows a 31% increase last year. In Scotland, water bills are rising by an average of £42 (8.7%) to £532. Northern Ireland does not charge separately for domestic water.
Consumers on low incomes may be eligible for social tariffs offered by water companies in England and Wales. Unmetered customers can request a meter installation or switch to an assessed charge based on household size. The Consumer Council for Water provides a calculator to compare costs.
Other April bill increases include council tax (up £109 on average for a band D property in England), broadband (£39.60) and mobile contracts (£27.60). The telecoms regulator Ofcom has banned inflation-linked mid-contract price rises from 2025, but fixed pound-and-pence increases still apply.
