Campaigners in the UK are slamming water companies for forecasting average household bill increases in April that will surpass current inflation.
The average annual water and sewerage bill in England and Wales is expected to rise by 6%, or £27 to £473, according to suppliers’ trade association Water UK.
Scotland will also see an increase in water and waste fees of 8.8%, or £36, each year.
According to the BBC, water firms faced harsh criticism after sewage was poured into rivers.
According to David Henderson, CEO of Water UK, “water companies will see record levels of investment from next year to secure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas.”
He stated that: “Companies in England and Wales would invest more than £14.4bn in the next financial year, the highest annual investment on record.”
“A small first step of what will be a very long road to recovery,” was how Surfers Against Sewage charity CEO Giles Bristow put it.
He continued: “This is a signal that the water industry is at last, perhaps, waking up to the sheer scale and extent of the sewage scandal and the chronic state of our water system in the UK.”
The average estimated bill, as determined by the companies, will exceed the 4% inflation rate that indicates increases in general prices. Due to variations in usage habits and geographic locations for specific persons on the metre.
