Southern Water customers’ bills set to rise again in April
Southern Water customers' bills are to increase from April.
In an announcement, Southern Water said its average household combined bill – for customers receiving both wastewater and water services – increase by eight per cent this April.
The company said the announcement came as it prepares to enter the second year of its 'biggest ever five-year investment plan, through to 2030 – spending £8.5 billion to deliver the improvements our customers have told us they want to see'.
Among these were: a drastic cut in storm overflows into local rivers and seas; a clear plan to tackle the societal challenges of climate change, water scarcity and population growth; an end to serious pollution and flooding incidents; a truly resilient and future-proofed water supply across the region; and a trusted and easy customer service.
Southern Water said the rise is also helping the company support more families who may need extra financial support to pay their bill – reaching almost 200,000 customers, or 10 per cent of Southern Water’s entire customer base, with a minimum discount of 45 per cent on their bill.
Chief customer officer Antonia Barton said: “We understand that times are challenging for many customers, and we’re doing all we can to support those who need it, while delivering the improvements our customers have told us matter most.
“Over the next five years, we’re investing £8.5 billion to upgrade ageing infrastructure, protect rivers and seas, and make water supplies resilient for generations to come. This is the biggest ever investment in our water infrastructure, and it’s essential to keep services reliable and sustainable long term. Every penny of the bill increase will be reinvested into improving our services. Nothing will go to shareholders.
“As part of this plan, we’ve worked hard to spread rises more evenly over the coming years to reduce the impact on households. We’re also expanding help for those who need it most, with around 10% of our customer base able to benefit from a discount, flexible payment plans, and a hardship fund for those facing exceptional challenges. If you’re worried about paying your bill, support is available – and we’re here to help.”
Households receiving water-only services from Southern Water will see an average bill rise of 25.8 per cent, but customers receiving wastewater-only services will see a decrease of four per cent.
Non-household customers will see an increase in wholesale water charges of 28.1 per cent, offset by a 6.3 per cent reduction in wholesale wastewater charges.
Following last year’s larger 46.7 per cent average household bill rise – which the company said came after a decade of static charges to front-load investment plans – Southern Water said this year’s eight per cent rise represents their strategy to spread the remaining increases over the next four years so they are as manageable as possible for our customers.
For more information about how Southern Water spend revenue from customer bills, please visit www.southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/why-is-my-bill-going-up.