UK water companies urged to do more to help consumers struggling with high bills

With the Water UK indicating that the average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales would go up by £2 to £389 in this fiscal year, the Consumer Council for Water has urged firms to improve the way they deal with consumers who are struggling to afford high bills.

CCWater chief executive Tony Smith was quoted by The Independent as saying that although the increase is considered as small, it is bound to hit low-income households.

"Our research shows that one in eight customers in England and Wales are already finding it difficult to afford their water bill," Smith added.

CCWater has urged water firms to step up their efforts to ensure that low-income customers get the help they need – by increasing awareness on social tariffs and through other help programmes.

According to Water UK, the increase in price would enable firms to invest £44bn over five years in order to improve their services.

Water UK chief executive Michael Roberts was quoted by the publication as saying: "For just over £1 a day, households across the country can have access to high quality water services day and night.

"Water companies understand the pressures on customers’ pockets and are committed to keeping household bills as low as possible while still investing in vital improvements."

However, CCWater stated that the figures only portray average bills while customer usage differs, which in other terms, may lead to some struggling customers paying high bills.

In January, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee had come down heavily on Ofwat, the water regulatory authority, for "consistently overestimating financing costs" when drawing limits on price, reported Thisismoney.co.uk.