Water bills fury

Local politicians and organisations for the elderly were shocked by news of the increases, which will start on April 1.

They will add to the financial worries of many elderly people and will infuriate 'green-minded' customers who made a special effort to save water during last year's drought.

On average, household charges for Southern Water customers will increase by 6.6 per cent, bringing the average unmetered water and sewerage bill for larger households to 349. This is an average increase of 20 compared with 2006-7.

Metered households will face an average increase of 7.7 per cent, bringing the combined bill to 291, an increase of 23.

Other large water companies are also announcing above-inflation increases, the highest being South West Water, with a 16 per cent average rise, and Wessex Water, with a 12.1 per cent average increase.

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb condemned the increases as 'outrageous'. He said: "For pensioners and other people on fixed incomes, such a rise in water bills '“ or indeed inflation-busting rises in council tax '“ are a direct attack on their living standards and, for some, it will mean real hardship.

"All spending by water companies or local government is worthwhile but greater care needs to be taken to balance the worthiness of such projects against the impact they will have on those who have to fund them."

Peter Mandich, press spokesman for Ofwat, the water services regulatory authority, said: "We have allowed Southern Water to increase its overall average charge for all customers (households and non-households) by 7.37 per cent for 2007-8. This comprises the price limit of 3.5 per cent, plus annual inflation of 3.87 per cent.

"The price limits we have set will enable Southern Water to improve its infrastructure."

For example, Southern Water will spend some of the money on maintaining pipes, sewers and treatment works, improving drinking water quality in some areas and alleviating flooding from overloaded sewers.

He said that any Southern Water customer who had problems paying water and sewerage bills should contact the company, which offers a range of flexible payment options.

Water companies can also help individual householders to assess whether their bills were likely to be reduced by having a water meter installed.

Southern Water's director of corporate strategy, Barrie Delacour, said that the new water charges were 'inevitable'.

He said: "A rise in water charges is necessary so we can use the profit generated to help meet the cost of improvements.

"While we fully realise the significance of these bill increases, they are inevitable when we have such a large improvement programme to deliver."

For the full story and more reactions, see the February 28 edition of the West Sussex Gazette.

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