Monetary specialists reveal three easy methods you possibly can beat rising water payments

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Households throughout England and Wales are bracing for one more improve in water payments, with a mean rise of 5.4 per cent set to take impact from April.

This newest hike, confirmed by regulator Ofwat on the finish of January, will add a mean of £33 to annual family prices.

It follows a considerable 20 per cent improve final 12 months, which noticed payments climb by a mean of £86 per family.

The approaching rise in water prices comes amidst a wider panorama of escalating family bills, inserting additional pressure on private funds.

Not like different important companies, customers don't have any recourse to hunt out a extra inexpensive supplier, in keeping with family finance skilled Greg Marsh, CEO of Nous.co.

"Sadly, in contrast to cell phone suppliers or broadband or vitality suppliers, there’s nothing you are able to do to buy round for a less expensive provider," Marsh defined.

He added, "Your water provider is your water provider, and it’s a postcode lottery."

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/27/08/25125441-1af2d4ee-7c8d-4ee1-a754-613e9489c9f7.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/27/08/25125441-1af2d4ee-7c8d-4ee1-a754-613e9489c9f7.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/02/27/08/25125441-1af2d4ee-7c8d-4ee1-a754-613e9489c9f7.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Particularly if you’re on a smart meter, reducing your water usage is the ‘obvious answer’ for getting bills down" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> Notably for those who’re on a wise meter, lowering your water utilization is the ‘apparent reply’ for getting payments down Whereas customers would possibly routinely swap vitality suppliers to safe higher offers, the identical technique merely would not apply to water, leaving many questioning what choices, if any, exist to mitigate these rising prices.

Set up a wise meter

In case you haven’t already put in a water meter, Marsh strongly urges you to think about getting one by contacting your provider.

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“Why would you wish to do this? You would possibly assume, effectively, I don’t need them to know precisely how a lot I’m utilizing,” says Marsh. “But when your home has extra bedrooms than folks, get a wise meter – you’ll most likely lower your expenses.”

In response to the federal government’s Setting Company, solely 12 per cent of properties in England have sensible water meters put in.

Marsh provides: “The opposite profit of getting a wise meter is you’ll know you’re paying for precisely what you devour, which in flip means for those who do wish to reduce down your water payments by, as an illustration, having smaller baths or being considerate about what settings you've on your washer, then it means you’ll profit from these economies.”

See for those who qualify for assist

Anybody who's on advantages or incomes beneath a certain quantity “might be able to entry a social tariff from their present provider, and that may cap or cut back your invoice by as a lot as 90 per cent for those who’re on a very low earnings”, says Marsh.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/21/08/5891dda0fa7a72c71945bcfedce0d067Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzUzMTY4NTg1-2.80869403.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/21/08/5891dda0fa7a72c71945bcfedce0d067Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzUzMTY4NTg1-2.80869403.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/21/08/5891dda0fa7a72c71945bcfedce0d067Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzUzMTY4NTg1-2.80869403.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Anyone who is on benefits or earning under a certain amount ‘may be able to access a social tariff from their current supplier, and that can cap or reduce your bill by as much as 90 per cent if you’re on a really low income’, says Marsh" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> Anybody who's on advantages or incomes beneath a certain quantity ‘might be able to entry a social tariff from their present provider, and that may cap or cut back your invoice by as a lot as 90 per cent for those who’re on a very low earnings’, says Marsh (PA Wire) He says it’s “positively value chatting with your provider” to see for those who would possibly qualify, as every firm has a barely completely different set of standards.

For instance, Thames Water has the WaterHelp scheme. These whose invoice is greater than 5 per cent of their web earnings are eligible (that is additionally depending on the variety of occupants in your family), and will get a 50 per cent low cost on their water invoice.

For Northumbrian Water, you're eligible in case you have a complete family earnings of £30,000, and your annual water and sewerage invoice is greater than 4 per cent of your web family earnings (after housing prices, lease or mortgage funds), or if somebody in your family receives Pension Credit score, and your annual water and sewerage invoice is 4 per cent or extra of your web family earnings.

These eligible may see their water payments diminished by as much as 50 per cent.

Equally, Southern Water has a number of schemes accessible for these battling their payments – test on-line to see what would possibly be just right for you.

Finally, Nicky Chitty, the affordability and vulnerability lead at Southern Water, says: “There’s heaps that we might help folks with. My principal message for someone that wants some assist is simply attain out to whoever their provider is. There shall be assist there for them.”

Cut back water utilization

Notably for those who’re on a wise meter, lowering your water utilization is the “apparent reply” for getting payments down, says Marsh, even when “it’s not all the time the enjoyable reply”.

In response to Daniel Lintell, sustainability supervisor at Triton Showers, “Small behaviour modifications” can have a big impact, as a result of “each drop makes a distinction”.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/29/00/bcc05303508da315e016f577a7c9fb3cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY5Njk3NzI2-2.81552407.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/29/00/bcc05303508da315e016f577a7c9fb3cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY5Njk3NzI2-2.81552407.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/29/00/bcc05303508da315e016f577a7c9fb3cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY5Njk3NzI2-2.81552407.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="According to the government’s Environment Agency, only 12 per cent of homes in England have smart water meters installed" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> In response to the federal government’s Setting Company, solely 12 per cent of properties in England have sensible water meters put in (PA Wire) “Showering accounts for most likely 1 / 4 of a typical family’s water utilization,” he suggests. “So extra environment friendly showering goes to cut back your water consumption – and one of many key further advantages of lowering your water utilization of showering is you’re going to deliver down your vitality prices fairly significantly,” since you don’t must warmth up fairly a lot water.

Whereas shorter showers will make a distinction, there are additionally different issues you are able to do, Lintell says – comparable to not operating your bathe for ages to ‘heat up’ earlier than hopping in.

“You don’t must run it for minutes and minutes and minutes – it’s wasted time, it’s wasted vitality and it’s wasted water.”

He provides: “In case you’ve acquired a mixer bathe, contemplate pausing your bathe while you’re shampooing. Lots of people get their hair moist, put the shampoo in, step away, and go away the bathe operating.”

You could possibly additionally take a look at investing in a circulate regulator to cut back the circulate price of your bathe, thus utilizing much less water, with Lintell saying: “You most likely won't discover the distinction from an expertise perspective.”

Outdoors of the bathe, Lintell recommends utilizing the eco mode on home equipment just like the dishwasher or washer.

“That’s what they’re there for. The engineers have spent years creating them, caring about each single drop, optimising it – so let the machine do the be just right for you.”

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