Water bills due to rise by £21 a year in Yorkshire (From Gazette & Herald)

Water bills due to rise by £21 a year in Yorkshire

10:13am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in News

WATER and sewerage bills are to rise by £21 a year for Yorkshire households from April, regulator Ofwat has said.

The average UK bill will increase by 0.5 per cent above inflation to £376, taking into account a rate of inflation of 5.2 per cent, the water companies’ watchdog said.

In Yorkshire the cost of water will raise by a household average of 6.1 per cent to £166 a year for water and £195 for sewerage.

The announcement comes after Ofwat pulled back from deep cuts in household bills in 2009 in its final decision on prices for the next five years.

But the regulator has insisted that its challenge of companies’ proposed bill rises means that across England and Wales average bills are set to remain broadly in line with inflation by 2015 – about ten per cent below what companies had asked for before inflation has been factored in.

Ofwat chief executive officer Regina Finn said: “When we set limits on prices, we listened to customers. They told us they wanted bills kept down, while maintaining safe, reliable water supplies. We challenged companies hard to deliver this.

“Our decision meant that, before inflation, average bills would remain broadly stable between 2010-15.

“We understand that any bill rise is unwelcome, particularly in tough economic times. Inflation feeds through into water bills, and this is driving these rises.

“We will make sure customers get value for money.”