Average Welsh Water bills to fall by around 1%

THE average household water bill will fall by about 1% to £444 a year, Welsh Water has announced.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said that its average household bill the next financial year is projected to be £444, down £3 on the expected figure.

It claims the average household bill will be around £88 lower than it would have been, had water bills kept pace with inflation over the last decade.

The business also announced a record £12m support from its financial surplus to help keep down bills for its most vulnerable customers.

A record £430m is also being invested this financial year in capital projects, the equivalent of almost £1.2m a day.

Welsh Water chief executive Chris Jones said: “As a company owned on behalf of the customers it serves, I am proud that we are marking a decade of below-inflation price rises – delivering against our commitment, and helping to ensure our bills are fair and affordable for our customers.

“In addition, we are very pleased to be able to help many of those who are in genuine need of support.

“That’s why we are using a large part of our surplus each year to help finance our range of social tariffs, enabling us to help far more of our lowest income customers than other water companies.”

Phil Marshall, deputy chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, added: “Welsh Water recognises the hardship facing many households in Wales and we’re really pleased to see that it is putting additional funding into supporting these customers through its social tariff scheme.”