South East Water bills rise by less than inflation

South East Water confirmed the average household will pay £245.44 a year – an average increase of 31 pence per month - for their tap water supply from 1 April.

The amount the company can charge its customers for their clean drinking water supply is set every five years by the independent regulator Ofwat and takes in an agreed level of inflation which has been applied to bills in the next financial year. The package of investment and service levels that must be delivered, within these same price limits, is also set by Ofwat.

This increase of 1.59 per cent on last year – an average of £3.65 a year – is below inflation.

Despite a very challenging 12 months with the weather both in winter and summer breaking all previous records, the company has been focusing on keeping its vital services running and investing in new infrastructure.

It is in the fifth and final year of its investment programme which has seen £489 million being spent on the very latest water testing technology to meet rigorous water quality regulations, the replacement of underground pipes and leakage control, developing new water resources and the introduction of new treatment processes.

From April 24 to March 25 the company will be investing more than £105 million, to continue to improve the service it gives to its customers.

Major projects to be started or underway from April include:

1. A brand new water treatment works in Aylesford, Kent
2. Expansion of Bewl Water Treatment Works situated on the boundary between Kent and Sussex
3. New water main linking Bewl Water Treatment Works to Cotttage Hill, Rotherfield, East Sussex

Upgrades to Boxalls Water Treatment Works, Aldershot, Hampshire, Tilmore Water Treatment Works, Petersfield, Hampshire and Tilford Water Treatment Works, Surrey

Start of the construction of a new process plant at Woodgarston, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

More than 58,000 customers are now receiving financial help with their water bills with a variety of support measures, including a social tariff.

During the past year, South East Water’s innovative data-sharing scheme with local councils to automatically identify and sign up eligible customers who would benefit from extra financial help has been expanded.

This has meant thousands of customers have automatically been transferred onto the social tariff without the need for them to apply. This will expand further in the coming financial year.

A Trusted Partners Scheme, working with charities and voluntary groups in the third sector, is also automatically transferring people onto the tariff and Priority Services Register without the need to apply.

Other initiatives include:

• Auto Enrolment using the Department of Works and Pensions Data Share Scheme that will help identify more customers that may be eligible for affordability tariffs
• Increased promotion of company funded Helping Hand Scheme available to customers who have fallen into arrears but are attempting to maintain payments. This scheme reduces customer arrears enabling them to focus on current payments
• Supporting customers on benefits who are in arrears through the Department of Works and Pensions Water Direct Scheme by reducing their payments to a minimum through the Water Direct scheme
• Continued promotion of the company’s general payment plan options to help customers who are struggling with both the cost increase and general cost of living crisis by ensuring that customer payment plans are not increased to an unmanageable level and offering payment breaks.

Customer Services Director Tanya Sephton said: “This is undoubtedly a very tough time for everyone; we are working hard to expand initiatives in place quickly to make sure help is given where it is needed most and often without our customers needing to ask.

“Our average bill works out at 67 pence per day for all the water supplied to the home for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

“We really do encourage anyone worried about their bill to contact us as soon as possible and, we’ll help find the right options for them. This could be advice and water saving devices to help reduce water usage, or finding the right tariff for their circumstances.”

Further details of how South East Water is helping struggling customers to pay their bills can be found here.

To sign up for the company’s Priority Services Register, which is available for customers with medical conditions, restricted mobility, additional needs, sight and hearing issues who may need some extra support, contact the Customer Care team on 0800 952 4000 or go to southeastwater.co.uk/priority

South East Water supplies drinking water to homes across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire to 2.3 million people.