Utilities giant South West Water has said average water bills will fall in 2022 - bringing welcome relief to households hit with rising energy and food costs.
The Exeter-headquartered company, part of Pennon Group Plc, said the average annual bill for water and wastewater services will be less in 2022/23 than last year and lower than 10 years ago.
The average household bill will now be £472, a fall from £483 in 2021/22. Customers will also continue to benefit from the £50 Government Contribution, to cut household bills, for 2022/23.
At the same time, 2022/23 will see the highest level of capital investment in the past 10 years, improving the region’s network and infrastructure as part of the company’s commitment to further protect and enhance the natural environment.
South West Water said it believes no-one should worry about their water bill, especially when other utility bills and inflationary increases are on the rise, putting pressure on households.
The South West Water announcement comes the day after regulator Ofgem announced the energy price cap will rise by £693 to £1,971 from April.
And the Bank of England also hiked interest rates from 0.25% to 0.5% in an inflation battling move. The Inflation rate is currently at 5.4%, with some economists predicting it could still rise further.
South West Water said its decision on bills, together with a range of further help packages for those who need it most, is “the right thing to do”.
It said its WaterCare tariff offers a wide range of support to customers which includes benefit entitlement checks to ensure customers maximise their income, water efficiency checks to reduce bills, and a comprehensive affordability toolkit.
It also helps those on a low income by reducing standard measured charges by between 15% and 85%.
Additionally, for customers on a lower income or with a medical condition requiring them to use extra water, South West Water’s WaterSure tariff, which now supports 16,000 customers, will also be lower by over £50 in 2022/23.
Jo Ecroyd, South West Water’s customer service director, said: “From April 1, 2022, South West Water’s average annual household bill for water and wastewater services will be £472. This is less than the average for last year.
“We understand concern about household budgets and now more than ever we will do what we can for customers. We would encourage any customers who are worried about their bill to get in touch and see what additional support we can offer.”
The company held the water industry’s first ever Customer AGM in 2021 as part of its pioneering WaterShare+ scheme which gives customers a greater stake and say in the business, allowing South West Water to build deeper relationships with its customers. The scheme shared about £20m with customers as money back on their bills or as shares in parent company Pennon, and as a result more than one in 16 households are now shareholders as well as customers.
South West Water said that with a key focus on environmental improvement, for the first time 100% of the classified bathing waters in the South West passed stringent standards set by Defra, with 98% rated as or “Good” or “Excellent”, compared to about 28% in 1991. The same approach used to achieve this will be used to deliver a “step change” on the company’s impact on river quality and reduce any impact by a third by 2025, South West Water said.
