Ofwat, the water industry regulator, has confirmed the cost of water bills will increase on average by 26%.
The average water bill will increase by £123 this year, according to Ofwat.
Ofwat have capped water bill increases from 2025–2030 at 35%, a decision which local provider, Thames Water, has appealed.
The company requested a 53% increase over the next five years, which could put its annual water bill at £677. Ofwat did not approve this request, leading to Thames Water appealing, a process which could take up to three months.
The request from Thames Water came in a bid to tackle its £19b debt, which the High Court approved an emergency loan of three billion pounds for in February.
Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water, an organisation which represents water bill payers, urged for stronger protection for struggling customers: “These bill rises may be less than what water companies wanted but they are still more than what many people can afford.”
Thames Water has not yet responded to the Kingston Courier’s request for information on what its plan for a 53% increase would mean for bill payers and the company’s intention should the appeal fail.
Thames Water, the Consumer Council for Water and Water UK have provided online guidance for people who may need help paying their water bills.
Local residents have expressed concerns about the rises.
Garfield Bateman said: “I am unhappy. It should not be for customers to bail out utility companies who have been mismanaged.”
He added that “it has been a failing of successive governments to properly regulate essential utility companies that they allowed to be private”.
These rising water bills come at a time of increased pressure on bill payers. Energy bills are also expected to rise by 6% from 1 April to 30 June 2025, putting the average annual bill at £1,849, according to the industry regulator Ofgem.
Data sourced from British Gas shows that this marks a continuous increase in energy prices since July 2024.
For water and energy bill payers, these sharp price increases have tightened their household budgets.
The cost-of-living crisis shows little sign of abating with these new price hikes.
Rising bills have prompted bill payment boycotts, protests and for some to dub this month as ‘Awful April’.
Combined, the current increases in average water bills and average energy prices in 2025 is £233, pushing total yearly payments to around £2,000.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (2024) suggests that the average annual salary in Kingston is £34,908. Combined bill increases may take up 6% of an average salaried Kingston resident’s yearly income.
The rises will take up a larger amount of low-income households’ money, leaving them at risk of being unable to pay.
Kingston Council is offering support for eligible households through its Household Support Fund.
There is also government support through schemes like the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
