In January, Ofwat confirmed that average household water bills across England and Wales will rise by 5.4% from April, the equivalent of around £33 a year. That follows last year’s sharp 20% increase — roughly £86 per household.
But, as frustrating as it is, energy providers, water customers can’t switch suppliers to chase a better deal.
“Unfortunately, unlike mobile phone providers or broadband or energy providers, there’s nothing you can do to shop around for a cheaper supplier,” says Greg Marsh, household finance expert and CEO of Nous.co .
“Your water supplier is your water supplier, and it’s a postcode lottery.”
What can households do to lower water bills?
Experts say while you can’t control prices, you can control usage – and small changes can add up to meaningful savings.
Consider a switch to a water meter
If you’re not on a meter, you pay a fixed charge based largely on your property’s rateable value – not on how much water you actually use.
Marsh urges many households to reconsider. “Why would you want to do that? You might think, well, I don’t want them to know exactly how much I’m using,” he says.
“But if your house has more bedrooms than people, get a smart meter – you’ll probably save money.”
On average, households that switch to a meter save around £100 a year.
There’s also a behavioural benefit.
“The other benefit of having a smart meter is you’ll know you’re paying for exactly what you consume,” Marsh explains.
“If you do want to cut down your water bills by, for instance, having smaller baths or being thoughtful about your washing machine settings, then it means you’ll benefit from those economies.”
Check whether you qualify for discounted tariffs
Support is available – but many households don’t realise they’re eligible.
“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% if you’re on a really low income,” says Marsh.
Every water company offers some form of affordability scheme, though eligibility criteria vary.
For example, Thames Water offers its WaterHelp scheme, which can reduce bills by up to 50% for qualifying households.
Northumbrian Water provides discounts for households under certain income thresholds.
Southern Water runs multiple support schemes for customers struggling with payments.
Nicky Chitty, affordability and vulnerability lead at Southern Water, says the most important step is simply making contact.
“There’s lots that we can help people with,” she says.
“My main message for somebody that needs some support is just reach out to whoever their supplier is. There will be support there for them.”
Here’s a full list of water discounts by area .
Rethink your shower routine
Showering accounts for roughly a quarter of a typical household’s water use — making it one of the biggest opportunities for savings.
“Small behaviour changes can have a huge impact, because every drop makes a difference,” says Daniel Lintell, sustainability manager at Triton Showers.
“Showering accounts for probably a quarter of a typical household’s water usage. So more efficient showering is going to reduce your water consumption – and one of the key additional benefits is you’re going to bring down your energy costs quite considerably.”
Switching from a daily large bath to a shower could save around £85 per person annually. For a family of four, that’s more than £340 a year.
Lintell also warns against a common habit: letting the shower run long before getting in: “You don’t need to run it for minutes and minutes and minutes – it’s wasted time, it’s wasted energy and it’s wasted water.”
He suggests pausing the water while shampooing if you have a mixer shower, and considering a flow regulator or water-efficient shower head – changes he says most people “probably will not notice from an experience point of view”.
Savings vary by region.
Customers of Wessex Water, which has some of the highest volumetric charges, could save over £120 a year by switching from large baths. Even those served by Portsmouth Water, one of the cheapest providers, could still save around £46 annually.
Fix leaks before they drain your money
Some of the biggest savings come from problems many households don’t even realise they have.
“A dripping tap may not seem serious, but over time it can waste a surprising amount of water,” says Sophie Graham, personal finance expert at Sunny.
“Leaking toilets are even more costly and often go unnoticed, sometimes wasting hundreds of litres a day.”
“Fixing a leaky toilet could save around £300 a year, making it one of the most effective ways to cut unnecessary water use.”
If you’re on a meter, leaks directly increase your bill – so addressing them quickly is crucial.
Make small daily habit changes
Graham says simple tweaks can quietly deliver savings across the year.
“Only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads helps maximise efficiency,” she says.
“Switching your dishwasher to an eco programme could save you around £19 a year on running costs compared with using a regular wash setting.”
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth is another easy win.
“Simply turning the tap off while brushing twice a day can save more than 8,700 litres of water a year, which works out at roughly £25 in savings per person.”
Low-cost devices such as tap aerators can also help. “Fitting a tap aerator could save you around £20 a year,” Graham adds.
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You can’t avoid rising water prices – and you can’t switch providers.
But you can reduce what you use.
As Graham puts it: “While you can’t control price increases, you can control how much water you use. Small changes at home, when added up over a year, can make a noticeable difference to your bill without impacting your quality of life.”
