Water bills set to fall - again
Our average combined bill for water and wastewater treatment services is set to fall by 1.2 per cent for 2021-22.
Bills have been falling in real terms (adjusted for inflation) for the past three years but this year's bills will also be lower in absolute terms.
A typical combined bill for a domestic customer is expected to be £407 compared with an average charge of £412 last year - meaning a day's services will cost only £1.13 - about the same as a litre of milk.
The money will be used to fund a £3.2 billion five year investment programme to help us deliver sustainable services to our 4.6 million customers and working with key partners including Wildlife and Rivers Trusts.
Southern Water is also committed to a range of measures to help customers who may struggle with their bills, including payment holidays and special tariffs. This is even more important now, as we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Customers can expect to pay around the same as in 2020/21 for the element of their bills which cover the supply of clean water. The expected average is £167 compared with £170 in 2020-21. The wastewater element of bills also remains stable - the expected average is £240 compared with £241 in 2020-21.
The fall in the cost for customers comes at the start of a sustained reduction in combined bills. Between 2020 and 2025 bills will fall by 18.4 per cent (adjusted for inflation). By 2025 the average household bill for water and wastewater will be just £343 a year. Water bills will fall 8 per cent during that time while wastewater bills will fall 24 per cent.
Extra help where it's needed
Especially due to Covid-19 we know that some people are struggling financially or need some extra help in other ways.
Rachel Ryan-Crisp, Southern Water's Vulnerability Lead, says: "There are many people out there that don't even know that we can provide extra support to help them when things are particularly challenging financially. We also offer extra care help those living with long-term illness, disability, the elderly and even new parent or parents with young children. Help us to help you by getting in touch for advice or by spreading the word to friends and family who could benefit."
More details about our tariff schemes can be found here https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/help-paying-your-bill
Learn about our priority services register here:
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/extra-help-and-support
Learn about extra help we're providing during the pandemic here:
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/covid-19
Starting a new era
Ian McAulay, Southern Water chief executive said:
"Water is a precious commodity and with the impacts of climate change and population growth in the region it will only become more precious. It's important that the cost of this basic necessity for life should be kept down for customers but equally important that we should put protecting the environment and delivering a resilient water future for the South East at the heart of our commitment. Working in partnership with our customers, local, regional and national partners we intend to do just that."
Where your money goes
Southern Water's bills cover the day-to-day running costs of supplying customers with high-quality drinking water and taking away and treating their wastewater. In addition they support our investments including such major projects as the £100 million Havant Thicket reservoir we are funding in our neighbour Portsmouth Water's area.
Our spending includes renewal and expansion of water mains and sewers, along with schemes to help prevent flooding, protect water supplies, reduce leakage, improve water quality, protect the environment and enhance wastewater treatment.
Over the course of the next five years we will be investing £3.2 billion in building and maintaining our assets and network.
Partnership working with county and district councils and key stakeholders such as Wildlife and Rivers Trusts will play a vital role in our plans. Increasingly we are looking for solutions which work with work with habitats to create ‘natural capital' which will increase the resilience of the water environment.
Notes to Editors:
- Southern Water's bills for 2021-22 are down 1.2 per cent before an inflation figure of CPIH of 0.6 per cent in December 2020 is taken into account. This means the real decrease is 1.8 per cent
- The forecast weighted average household bills for 2020-21 are:
- Water £167 (a drop of £3 or 1.8 per cent)
- Wastewater£240 (a drop of £1 or 0.7 per cent)
- Combined£407 (a drop of £5 or 1.2 per cent)