Water

Millions of water and sewerage bill payers could be due compensation payouts of up to £109 each if a new set of group legal claims against several big water firms succeeds. It's still early days and there are no guarantees, but here's what you need to know.

Some water bills in England and Wales could rise by less than planned from April 2024, as 12 water companies have been hit with a collective £114 million penalty for missing targets on pollution, leaks and customer service.

Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru) will give £10 in bill credit to each of its 1.4 million home and business customers this year, after an internal review found it had misreported the volume of water it lost to leaks between 2020 and 2022.

The average annual water bill in England and Wales is set to rise by around £31 a year (7.5%) from April, industry body Water UK has announced today. But prices will vary depending on where you live and some will see much larger increases. Meanwhile, those in Scotland will see bills rise by £19 a year (5%).

Hundreds of thousands of households in England and Wales could be eligible for up to 90% off their water bill by switching to a discounted tariff provided by their supplier. If you're struggling, we've rounded up below what each supplier has to offer and how to check if you're eligible and apply. 

Households with water meters should check their bills as many firms are upping direct debits due to higher use during lockdown. And with usage over the next year likely to drop for many as restrictions ease, you could end up paying a lot more than you need to unless you take action. Energy's slightly different, but it's still worth checking – more on that below.

Water firms have been forced to review their communications and in one case even cancel a mass mail-out after a backlash from angry customers, MoneySavingExpert.com can reveal.

Southern Water is to pay £123 million back to customers following an investigation that found the company had shown "scant regard" for the environment and deliberately acted to deceive its customers.