SOUTH West Water has today announced its average annual household bills for 2023/34 will be increasing by 0.8%,

A spokesperson for SWW pointed out this was ‘well below the current rates of inflation. This equates to an increase of less than £5 a year, at a time when, through our WaterShare+ scheme, we have just given all customers £13 off their bill.

‘www.discoverwater.co.uk/annual-bill has announced all water company bills across the industry today and reveals that Welsh Water, Wessex Water and Anglian Water all now have higher average annual bills than South West Water.’

The average household bill for water and wastewater services for 2023/24 will be £476, compared to £472 last year.

South West Water’s chief customer and digital officer, Laura Flowerdew, said: ‘We understand the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis for our customers, which is why we have worked hard to minimise any increases.

‘We strive to help any customers who need it, and we encourage any customers who are worried about their bill to get in touch and see what additional support we can offer.’

The spokesperson adds: ‘While South West Water’s first focus is always on keeping bills low, it is also undertaking a wide range of initiatives to help customers during these challenging times.

‘This year the company has supported customers with £68 million of benefits, providing a range of support measures for customers struggling to pay their bills and vulnerable customers, with over 79,000 customers expected to access financial support between April 2020 and April 2023.

‘In direct response to the cost-of-living crisis, South West Water’s parent company, Pennon, accelerated the release of their second WaterShare+ issuance, with customers further able to benefit from a bill reduction or the opportunity to take a stake in the business, giving them a greater say in their local water company.

‘As the largest employer in the region, South West Water can help in other ways too, having just announced plans to double its apprenticeship and graduate programmes to 1,000 by 2030, and offering 5,000 work placements for children over the same period.

‘By April this year 42,000 customers will have been taken out of water poverty through South West Water’s support tariffs as part of its industry-leading ambition to eradicate water poverty by 2025.

‘Customers will also continue to benefit from the £50 Government Contribution for 2023/24.'