Water charges to increase by 8.8 per cent this April

The 8.8 per cent increase, which equates to around 70p per week or £35.95 per year on average, comes at a difficult time for households which are already feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis.

Around half of Scotland’s households receive financial support with their charges as they automatically have either a discount, exemption or reduction applied to their water and waste water charges.

Water executives say the increase will protect vital water and waste water services, however, further investment will be needed to deal with climate change impacts, population shift and ageing infrastructure.

Alex Plant, chief executive of Scottish Water, said: “Our core services play a vital role in the daily lives of millions of people in Scotland. As a publicly owned body, we have a clear responsibility to ensure what people pay is affordable and set at a fair level for current and future generations.

“The board’s decision on charges for 2024/25 recognises the need for significant investment to protect services now and for the future as climate change means more volatile weather conditions are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

“Whilst increases in bills are never welcome, and we acknowledge that cost of living pressures remain, this 70p a week on average increase will set us on a pathway to recover ground lost over the past two years when charges were set at a level lower than allowed for under the regulatory settlement.

“These charges will help us continue to meet our customers’ expectations, enable investment for resilience and strike a fair balance between what customers today are paying and what future generations will need to contribute. The Water Charges Reduction Scheme, and other discounts, exemptions and reliefs, which apply to around 50 per cent of all households in Scotland, are in place to help customers who may struggle to pay.”