Households to be hit with 3.74% rise in water bills

Published on Wednesday 30 January 2008 20:57

WATER and sewerage bills are to increase by 3.74 per cent from April, Scottish Water said yesterday.

The increase is 0.5 per cent less than inflation as measured by the retail price index, but it is a higher increase than last year when Scottish Water put bills up by just over 3 per cent. The average annual household bill will now rise to 310.

Scottish Water said this was still less than the average bill in England and Wales and lower than the average for seven out of ten water utilities south of the Border.

Douglas Millican, the interim chief executive, said: "This below-inflation rise in water charges next year will pay for the investment programme. Millions of people will get clearer, fresher drinking water, a cleaner environment and improved customer service as a result."

The firm said it was running Scotland's water industry at 3 million a week less than when it was formed in 2002, while delivering massive "improvements".

However, Mike Rumbles, a Liberal Democrat MSP, said: "Council tax payers who are expecting a council tax freeze will be shocked when they receive their bills."