Struggling families hit by a wave of cost increases will be hit by another hike when Northumbrian Water raises its prices by 10% in April.
Customers in our region will pay an average bill of £365 per year for their water and sewerage services, up by £37 compared to this year.
But although the percentage rise is the highest in the country, the overall cost of the bill is second lowest, with only Hafren Dyfrdwy customers in Wales paying less, at £334 per year.
And spare a thought for the poor customers of South West Water, who still pay a whopping £472 from April, even after a price reduction of six per cent and 1 £50 contribution from the government.
Water bills across England and Wales are set to rise by an average of 1.7% in April 2022 – that's a rise of £7/year on a typical bill.
Northumbrian Water defended the hike, which affects both water meter and water rates customers, saying it was investing over £450 million pounds into the region’s water and wastewater networks during 2022, part of a five-year £2.4 billion investment plan between 2020 and 2025.
Projects in the pipeline include a £30 million pound spend on sewer network improvements across County Durham and an investigation into bathing water quality in Marsden, South Tyneside.
The company will also invest £145 million to improve water quality and futureproof Northumbrian Water’s supply network in the south of County Durham and into Teesside.
The Project Pipeline: Durham and Tees Valley will include replacing some sections of the network that are more than 100 years old and installing 17 miles of new pipes, connecting Lartington Water Treatment Works with Shildon, via Whorley Hill.
A spokesman said the rise amounts to about 72p per week, with customers paying on average £1 a day for their water and sewerage services, and bills remain lower than they were in 2019.
Northumbrian Water’s chief executive, Heidi Mottram, said: “We have a responsibility to look after our customers, our communities and our precious water environment, which is why we’re committed to investing millions of pounds across the region to do just that.
“Our plans for this year will not only allow us to continue delivering a reliable service to customers, both now and into the future, but will also help us to tackle some of the environmental challenges we face, brought about by climate change and severe weather conditions.
“These essential investments, together with the rising costs of inflation has meant it is necessary for us to increase our prices by a small amount.
“However, we are very conscious of the financial challenges that some of our customers are facing, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising costs of living, and we want to reassure our customers that there are lots of ways that we can offer support.”
To find out more about the support available for customers who are struggling financially, see here.
