Bumper water bills set for Welsh Water customers
The increase by the not-for-profit water provider means the average bill will be £639 in April 2025 – up from £503 last year.
Further increases will happen every year for the next five years, totalling a 49% rise in water bills by 2029.
This would make Welsh Water the most expensive water company in the UK.
The water company say the increases are needed to fund more than £4bn in investment for its services including £2.5bn on projects to improve the environment.
It says that the price increase comes following a period of fifteen years when the company kept price rises below the rate of inflation and compares to an industry average rise of 26%.
Welsh Water say its customers will now pay an average of £1.75 a day for drinking water that is consistently ranked as equal highest quality in the world.
The investment would fund work to reduce pollution, upgrade and build new assets, reduce leakage, and improve water quality. The work will create 2,000 new jobs in Welsh Water’s supply chain.
Some of the schemes that will be started during 2025-26 include improving river quality in Corwen, Llanfoist, Letterston and Lampeter, work on 23 storm overflows, 75km of mains replaced, mostly in West Wales and work to upgrade the dams at Cwm Celyn, Usk, Cwmwernderi Tower and Craig Goch.
Welsh Water Interim Chief Financial Officer Samantha James said: “We understand the financial pressures that some of our customers are facing, and we are doing more than ever before to help those who are struggling.
“If you are struggling to pay your bill, please get in touch with us. We have a dedicated team who can help you find what you are entitled to. We have a strong track record of providing meaningful financial support to those that need it’
“Over the past 15 years we’ve done all we can to keep bills low and affordable for our customers, delivering financial support packages to ensure all our customers have access to our services.
“But now it’s time for a step change in investment, to improve performance and service delivery, adapt our networks to the climate crisis, and do more to protect our rivers and seas.
“This record investment will help us deliver the improvements our customers want to see.”
Responding to the increase, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick said: “Welsh customers are paying the price for Government incompetence.
“Under the last Conservative UK Government and current Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay, Dwr Cymru was able to get away with minimal oversight.
“They spent years paying out excessive executive bonuses despite being a ‘non-profit’ and having one of the worst environmental records in the country.
“Welsh customers will now have the highest water bills in the UK, despite having some of the lowest incomes, it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said: “This latest water bill hike from Dŵr Cymru is unacceptable, especially given Dŵr Cymru’s track record in Wales, with residents in Conwy earlier this month dealing with horrendous disruption with people unable to access any clean water.
“With Wales facing four times as many sewage discharges proportionally than England, and water bills in Wales set to become the highest in England and Wales, it feels like they’re flushing our money down the drain.
“Dŵr Cymru have been dragging their feet for years on necessary infrastructure upgrades and the public shouldn’t have to foot the bill for water companies’ long-standing failures and reluctance to upgrade their infrastructure until it’s far too late.”
Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central and former Leader of the Welsh Conservatives has also criticised the increase, saying: “These bill rises are going to put unbelievable pressure on hard-pressed households.
“It’s frankly unacceptable that in a modern country, people are having to stump up these sums just to have clean, running water, while the prize of unpolluted waterways still looks a long way off.
“Water bosses are paid far too much considering the outcomes we’re seeing on water bills and in our water quality, so it’s time we see performance-related pay for the top brass so they really have skin in the game.”
Support for those who struggle to pay
Welsh Water say they have a range of support available to customers who are struggling to pay their bills.
The company says it contributes £14m a year to maintain the its social tariffs schemes that help those who are struggling, by limiting the amount they pay.
The schemes currently support 150,000 customers, with Welsh Water’s not-for-profit model funding £73m over the next 5 years for its financial support packages. Over the past five years £64m has been used to fund social tariffs.
Customers who receive means-tested benefits can apply for the The HelpU tariff that helps the lowest income households, whilst the WaterSure Wales tariff caps the annual metered bill, so you won’t pay over a certain amount for the year.
Support is also available for working households who are struggling to make ends meet through the Cymuned scheme.
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