Southern Water Bills To Rise Again As Households Face 8% Increase

Households on the Isle of Wight will see their Southern Water bills rise again from April, with the average combined water and wastewater bill increasing by eight per cent.

The increase comes a year after customers faced a much steeper jump in charges, when average bills rose by almost 47 per cent.

Southern Water says the latest rise is part of a longer-term plan to spread further increases more gradually.

The company is entering the second year of a five-year £8.5 billion investment programme, which it says will fund upgrades to ageing infrastructure, reduce sewage discharges into rivers and the sea, and improve long-term water supply resilience.

Southern Water insists all revenue from the price rise will be reinvested into services rather than paid out to shareholders.

Not all customers will be affected in the same way.

Households receiving water-only services will see an average increase of 25.8 per cent, while those receiving wastewater-only services are expected to see bills fall by around four per cent.

Southern Water says nearly 200,000 customers across its region — around one in ten — now qualify for financial support, including discounted bills of at least 45 per cent, flexible payment plans and hardship funding.

Chief Customer Officer Antonia Barton said the company recognised the ongoing cost-of-living pressures facing households, but argued the investment programme was essential to prevent pollution, flooding and supply problems in future.

Further increases are expected over the next four years as part of the company’s long-term pricing strategy.