UK households have been warned that their water bills could surge by up to 40% by the end of the decade, as companies look to pass on the cost of tackling the sewage crisis and fighting climate change.
The rises are due to be announced next year, The Times reports this morning, adding hundreds of pounds to average bills.
The move has apparently alarmed ministers, as they try to get to grips with the cost of living crisis, but water companies say they needed the extra money to meet strict pollution targets.
But The Times reports that customers are going to be squeezed much harder, to fund investment plans to tackle the UK’s sewage crisis.
They say: “Under a process being run by Ofwat, England’s water companies have been asked to submit investment plans by October to fulfil commitments to tackle pollution from sewage. These include improving storm overflows discharging in or near designated bathing spots and improving 75 per cent of overflows discharging to high-priority nature sites.
“Public consultation documents seen by The Times show that, to pay for the work, most companies are asking the regulator to approve real-terms price increases of, on average, 25 per cent between 2025 and 2030.”
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