Water bills are set to rise by a higher than proposed average of £31 a year over five years from April, the industry regulator said.
Offwat said the increase was enough for water companies in England and Wales to pay for development costs and reduce wastewater discharges.
The increase is higher than the £19 a year proposed by Ofwat in July, but lower than what water companies have requested.
This comes amid public anger over the discharge of sewage into waterways and the continued pressure on families’ financial resources.
The regulator said the bill increases would pay for a £104bn sector upgrade.
Ofwat chief executive David Black said the regulator was “fully aware of the impact of increased bills on some customers”, adding that water companies now needed to “rise to the challenge” of making “significant improvement over time to justify this”. Increase bills.
Southern Water customers will be affected by the biggest increase, with bills rising by 53% – £642 on average – by 2030.
Thames Water, struggling under a huge debt pile, will be able to charge customers an additional 35%, with bills reaching £588.
