Are you missing out on the social rates on your water bill, which will save you €151 per year?
- Water companies offer low water bills for people with a low income or low benefits
- But most homes that qualify for these social rates never sign the deals
Low-income households are being urged to check if they can apply for special water bill offers that will save an average of £151 a year.
Experts say one in 15 homes qualify for such savings, but most don't know these deals are available.
The average annual water bill is £417 per year, rising to £448 next April.
But more than 1.3 million households in England and Wales received a reduction in their bills through their water company's social tariff in 2022-2023 – an increase of 19 per cent.
Discarded: many households are not aware that they can reduce their water bill with social rates
Social rates are cheaper water bills for low-income households or households on benefits. All water companies must supply them.
But according to the regulator Consumer Council for Water, almost two million households (or 15 percent) are eligible for social water rates, but have not registered for them.
The CCW says these customers may still not be signed up due to low awareness of social rates and other barriers.
Over the 2022-2023 period, social rates reduced the water bills of eligible low-income customers by an average of £151.
The CCW is calling on more households to seek support from their water company to tackle rising water bills for millions from April 2024.
CCW senior leader for social policy Andy White said: 'The rise in energy costs this winter and water bills from April will put significant pressure on millions of struggling households, so it is vital that low-income customers take action now to get all to receive the help they are entitled to. .'
How do you check whether you qualify for a social rate?
Every water company in England and Wales has its own social tariff scheme, designed to help low-income customers.
But who qualifies and the level of support offered varies greatly from company to company. In some cases, bills can be reduced by as much as 90 percent.
CCW has one list of social rates and criteria on its website.
For example, Thames Water's social rate is called Water Help.
It will reduce water bills by 50 per cent for homes where the household income is less than £17,005, or £21,749 in London, excluding disability benefits.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water's programme, WaterSupport, is aimed at low-income households with an annual water bill of more than £350.
WaterSupport limits bills to a maximum of £350.
In addition, more than 220,000 people also saw their bills capped through the WaterSure scheme, saving an average of £307 per year.
WaterSure limits water bills to no more than the average for the area.
To qualify, households must be on benefits and use a lot of water for legitimate reasons, such as having many children or for medical needs.
They also need a water meter, or wait for one to be installed.