BBCThe variety of households in search of assist with water payments in England and Wales rose by greater than 250,000 final 12 months, based on figures seen by the BBC, however help varies broadly relying on the place folks stay.
Water corporations spent virtually £259m on “social tariffs” final 12 months – discounted payments to assist low-income households – however they every have different criteria and supply totally different ranges of low cost.
These on Welsh Water social tariffs acquired a median invoice discount of £287, whereas Southern Water clients acquired a median of £110 off in 2023-24.
The Shopper Council for Water (CCW) is asking on corporations to have a single scheme so that everybody will get the identical stage of assist wherever they stay.
The variety of households on social tariffs has risen by a fifth since final 12 months to a document 1.6 million. Spending on them rose by 1 / 4, based on CCW information.
It mentioned the rise was all the way down to corporations doing extra to advertise their help schemes, information sharing between the federal government and councils serving to to establish clients in want, and the price of dwelling resulting in extra households in search of assist.
However there are issues that help just isn’t the identical throughout the nation and that individuals could possibly be lacking out on assist merely due to the place they stay.
Every firm’s social tariff scheme differs based mostly on issues like family revenue, advantages obtained, particular person water payments and the way a lot folks have in financial savings.
‘Assistance is on the market in the event you look’
Ellie Bryan and Morgan DaviesWhen Morgan Davies and Ellie Bryan from Liverpool discovered themselves dealing with a no-fault eviction, the prices of shifting noticed them fall behind on their payments.
“We’re nonetheless paying off a few of the payments from the previous home. Our water invoice was between £300 and £400 in debt from the opposite home, mixed with this home, we simply acquired behind on all of the funds,” says Ellie, 31.
Morgan, 25, provides: “We have been over £4,000 in debt. We had to take action many cost plans and it was attending to the purpose the place we needed to get a cost plan for an additional cost plan.”
The couple, who each work as grocery store shift leaders, acquired recommendation from Money Wellness and a letter from water firm United Utilities pointed them in the direction of a social tariff.
Their invoice went from about £39 a month to about £25.
“I’d say don’t be embarrassed about admitting you’re behind on some funds. You simply have to ask for assist,” says Ellie.
“For those who’re fighting money owed, name the corporate as a result of 9 out of 10 occasions they’ve an answer for you. There’s assist on the market in the event you look.”
However who will get that assist and to what extent varies relying on which water firm individuals are with. And in contrast to with electrical energy and fuel, folks can not merely change to a competitor.
Knowledge from the CCW means that among the many 10 largest water and sewerage corporations, the common invoice discount in 2023-24 ranged from £287 for folks equipped by Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru) all the way down to £110 for patrons of Southern Water.
The CCW’s information just isn’t calculated as a proportion of particular person payments, which differ considerably owing to regional variations and utilization ranges for these on a meter.
It additionally doesn’t separate out help for patrons who get water and sewerage from totally different corporations.
Throughout England and Wales, the average bill was about £445 in 2023-24, rising to £473 for 2024-25.
Southern Water instructed the BBC it has a few of the lowest payments within the nation and mentioned it is aware of there are households fighting the price of dwelling.
“For this reason we’ve stored our minimal low cost for these in want at 45%, rising to 90% if mandatory.
“We’re planning to greater than quadruple the worth of our Hardship Fund to £1.25m per 12 months and we’re extending our Precedence Companies Register from 12% to twenty% of our clients,” the corporate mentioned.
‘Postcode lottery’
Andy White, senior chief for the CCW, mentioned it was good that extra folks than ever have been getting assist by way of social tariffs.
“Nevertheless, it additionally shines a light-weight on the truth that there are vital variations within the help that’s accessible to clients relying who serves them as a water firm,” he mentioned, describing it as a “postcode lottery”.
“Whether or not you really get the assistance and qualify for that, and the way a lot assist that’s, relies upon completely on the scheme that every firm is providing,” he mentioned.
“And we don’t assume it’s proper that individuals ought to have totally different help relying on the place they stay.”
The CCW desires corporations to have one social tariff for individuals who can not afford their water and to all contribute to a shared pot in order that the prices don’t fall heaviest on the poorest areas.
Water UK, which represents water corporations, mentioned: “Finally it’s as much as Authorities to set the steerage on social tariffs, however water corporations supply considerably greater reductions than different utilities reminiscent of vitality.”
The federal government mentioned it was dedicated to supporting susceptible shoppers with their payments and addressing water poverty, and had introduced “an Unbiased Water Fee which can report again subsequent 12 months with suggestions to guard clients”.
How do water corporations resolve who to assist?
Each firm applies its personal standards for deciding whether or not somebody can have a social tariff.
Thames Water’s web site says its WaterHelp is for folks whose payments are greater than 5% of internet revenue and provides a 50% low cost to those that qualify, whereas Yorkshire Water says folks is perhaps eligible for its WaterSupport if they’ve a family revenue beneath £19,000 and an annual water invoice of greater than £364.
Corporations can also ask about financial savings. Southern Water says folks will need to have lower than £16,000 in addition to a family revenue of lower than £22,020, or that everybody have to be receiving pension credit, to be eligible for its Necessities tariff.
Welsh Water, which isn’t for revenue, provides help if somebody within the family receives at the least one means-tested profit and has totally different revenue thresholds relying on how many individuals stay there.
Social tariffs usually are not the one type of help on supply. The CCW information additionally confirmed an extra £66m went to greater than 200,000 accounts on a separate scheme known as Watersure, which caps payments for folks on meters who declare sure advantages and have a excessive water use.
