Household water charges set to rise

Household water charges across Scotland are set to rise by 1.6 per cent across all council tax bands, however Scottish Water has said prices will remain among the lowest in Great Britain.

The utilities company today confirmed that their increase in charges, which will come into effect from April, will result in around £6 a year for the average Scottish household. It is estimated that the average Scottish Water household charge in 2018/19 will be £363.

This is compared to the current average for households in England and Wales, which is £405.

Between 2015 and 2021, Scottish Water is investing over £3.5 billion in project throughout Scotland. Works undertaken by the company in Stromness, which began in November 2014, are set to finish later this month.

Douglas Millican, Chief Executive, said: “We continue to deliver one of the best value water and waste water services anywhere in the UK for our customers, who are at the heart of what we do.

“In providing 1.35 billion litres a day of drinking water to communities, our customers benefit from investment in the network required to bring that to their taps, ensure it is safe to use and is as fresh and clear as possible.

“They are also benefitting from our over £3.5 billion investment in water and waste water infrastructure which will safeguard supplies for many years to come.

“We want to continue to be trusted by our customers and we remain firmly focused on meeting their expectations of us. We are focused in a very positive way on ensuring customer service is the best it can be whilst providing value for money, stability and certainty in charge levels.

“We are not standing still, however, and we want to deliver further improvements to drinking water quality and environmental performance while at the same time ensuring what customers pay gives real value and benefit.”