Water bills set to increase from April

Water bills will increase in April 2026 in the latest stage of South West Waters major investment programme to upgrade its water and wastewater network.

The record £2.5bn investment will help with essential improvements to infrastructure, increase resilience to extreme and changing weather, support population growth and deliver better environmental outcomes across the region.  

 The five-year programme is designed to reduce the use of storm overflows, which customers tell us is a priority, improve reliability and ensure water and wastewater services continue to meet the standards customers expect.  

 While bills need to increase to support investment plans, two thirds of the money the Company are investing is being provided by its investors.

 The investment programme is already showing positive results – storm overflow spills and pollutions have reduced significantly compared to last year.

 They are on track to complete our 2025-2030 investment programme across the South West, focusing on four key priorities:

• Reliable safe water supplies - reducing leakage on networks to less than 10%

• Healthier rivers and seas - Tackling every storm overflow and limiting spills

• Action on climate change - Achieving Net Zero by 2030

• Largest ever support measures for customers who are struggling

 Ketan Hindocha, South West Water’s Customer Director, said: "We’re investing more than ever across our regions to 2030 to drive improvements on our customers’ top priorities, and these increases will support that progress. We know any rise in customer bills is difficult at a time when cost-of-living pressures persist, and these decisions are not taken lightly. 

 We want customers to feel confident about managing their bills, which is why our financial support schemes are in place to offer extra help to anyone who may need it. If customers have any concerns, we encourage them to get in touch so we can discuss what support might be available.”

 Background:  

• All charges across the industry are rigorously assessed and approved by the regulator, Ofwat.
• A wide range of factors affects water costs between regions, including the availability of water resources in the area, local geography and the balance of rural versus urban supply needs. Bills from different suppliers cannot therefore be compared like-for-like.  

• Whilst bills are increasing, two thirds of the money invested between 2025 and 2030 is being raised through investors.

• If customers are struggling to manage their bills, there are many ways South West Water can help, including support tariffs and options for managing payments.
• South West Water recommends installing a water meter so customers only pay for what they use. However, there are also flexible ways to pay water bills and spread payments. To explore options, please visit: www.southwestwater.co.uk/financial-support
• Customers can also reduce bills by saving water. Simple water-saving tricks can cut bills and help the environment. For tips and free water-saving devices, see: www.southwestwater.co.uk/save-water