Fury as water bills to rise by £33 a year to pay for 'decades of failure'
Campaigners have slammed water companies for raising an average household's water bills by £33 a year from April.
The average bill will rise to £639, but Water UK, the body that represents the industry, said the 5.4% increase will help to fund a £104billion programme of upgrades, which is being paid for by bill payers.
The move is likely to spark fury among consumers who have voiced outrage over water bosses' bonuses and pollution in the nation's waterways.
Ofwat has allowed water firms to put up bills by 36% between 2025 and 2030, with most of that - 20% or an average £86 - front-loaded on to last April's annual rise.
James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said: "When the water sector brags about 'record-breaking investment', what it really means is that bill payers, not water companies, are being forced to pick up the tab for decades of failure.
"That is why we are pursuing a judicial review of the 2024 price review, where we believe customers are being made to pay twice while investors are protected.
"The privatised, pollution-for-profit model has failed. Until water companies are owned and governed for public and environmental benefit, using long-term patient capital, we will keep seeing regulatory failure and polluted rivers."
United Utilities is hiking its prices by the most at an average of £57, followed by Hafren Dyfrdwy at £54 and Southern Water at £55.
An average household bill for Thames Water's customers will rise by an average of £3 compared to £17 for Wessex Water and £31 for Northumbrian Water.
David Henderson, Water UK chief executive, said: "We understand increasing bills is never welcome, but the money is needed to fund vital upgrades to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.
"While we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult.
Worries over the impact of water bill rises appear to be growing among customers, with the Consumer Council for Water recording a 51% increase in complaints about water companies in 2025 - driven mainly by concerns around affordability and upset over the scale of last April's increase.
Water companies have been increasing support for people struggling to pay, but customers still face a patchwork of different social tariff schemes, meaning where someone lives - rather than their actual level of need - can too often determine what support they receive.
Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said: "We've seen complaints brought to CCW about the affordability of water bills almost triple in the past year, and further bill rises will compound people's worries.
"People support investment in improving services, but they are impatient for change and need to see compelling evidence their money is being well spent. A stronger safety net is also needed for those who simply can't afford these bill rises."
Chris Walters, Ofwat's interim chief executive, said: "These bill increases are supporting a record investment of £104billion to deliver long-term improvements to the water sector by 2030.
"However, we also recognise that these bill increases may be difficult for some people. That is why we approved a doubling of company support available for customers who are struggling to pay, and now, more than two million households are accessing this help."