Water bills going up: Household water bills rising by average of £33 - full list of increases per area, which areas are worst hit?
Water bills will rise by £2.70 a month on average from April.
The average annual bill in England and Wales will increase by £33 to £639, prompting calls for a "stronger safety net" for those unable to pay. The size of the increase and the cost of the average bill both vary widely across different regions, with one water-only supplier raising prices by 13%.
The industry trade body, Water UK, said bill increases were needed to fund vital upgrades to the system and tackle spillages that have caused a public outcry. The average bill in England and Wales will go up by 5.4%, compared to the latest Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation of 3.4%.
However, different suppliers charge different amounts, and the increases vary sharply too. Thames Water, which raised prices significantly nearly a year ago, will only increase bills by an average of £3 a year, or 0.4%, this April, taking its average bill to £658 a year.
At the other end of the scale among water and sewerage companies, customers of Severn Trent Water will see a rise of 10% (up £52 to £587). Hafren Dyfrdwy is raising annual bills by 9% (up £54 to £635), and United Utilities is also increasing bills by 9% (up £57 to £660).
Among water-only companies, customers of Affinity Water's central region will see a 13% increase. Bristol Water is raising average bills by 12%, but bills in Affinity Water's East region will only go up by 0.4%.
South East Water will raise prices by 7%, while it faces an investigation by Ofwat for repeated water supply failures across Kent and Sussex. Listed below are the water bill increases.
The list is arranged alphabetically and reads, from left to right: name of company; (in brackets) type of company; average bill in 2026/27; increase in pounds from average bill in 2025/26; percentage change in average bill from 2025/26.
- Affinity Water, central region (water-only): £266; up £31 (+13%)
- Affinity Water, eastern region (water-only): £280; up £1 (+0.4%)
- Affinity Water, south-east region (water-only): £294; up £3 (+1%)
- Anglian Water (water & wastewater): £674; up £44 (+7%)
- Bournemouth Water (water-only): £205; up £11 (+6%)
- Bristol Water (water-only): £264; up £29 (+12%)
- Dwr Cymru (water & wastewater): £683; up £31 (+5%)
- Essex & Suffolk Water (water-only): £333; up £15 (+5%)
- Hafren Dyfrdwy (water & wastewater): £635; up £54 (+9%)
- Northumbrian Water (water & wastewater): £535; up £31 (+6%)
- Portsmouth Water (water-only): £162; up £13 (+8%)
- Severn Trent Water (water & wastewater): £587; up £52 (+10%)
- South East Water (water-only): £324; up £21 (+7%)
- South Staffs Water, Cambridge region (water-only): up £210; £7 (+3%)
- South Staffs Water, South Staffordshire region (water-only): up £230; £6 (+2%)
- South West Water (water & wastewater): £740; up £39 (+6%)
- Southern Water (water & wastewater): £759; up £55 (+8%)
- Sutton & East Surrey Water (water-only): £257; up £26 (+11%)
- Thames Water (water & wastewater): £658; up £3 (+0.4%)
- United Utilities (water & wastewater): £660; up £57 (+9%)
- Wessex Water (water & wastewater): £695; up £17 (+3%)
- Yorkshire Water (water & wastewater): £636; up £34 (+6%)