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Anglian Water bills may be on the way down?

Author: Graham Mann, Water Audit Expert.

Anglian Water bills may be on the way down? but all maybe not as it seems. I spotted this water customer open letter on the web, which may indicate changes to water company charges in the future.

“Anglian water tariffs: –  Light water users “punished”.  I was absolutely astounded when I received a letter from Anglian Water this week. Customers who use the Solow tariff are informed that it is being phased out over 3 years and will dramatically increase bills for water efficient users.

The Solow tariff was available to all domestic metered customers and was designed to benefit customers who made an effort to conserve water and use less than 75 cubic meters a year, customers paid a 25% higher volumetric charges for water but no standing charge. As water is a precious resource I diligently adhered to all Anglian Water’s advice, the “Love Every Drop” campaign, installing water saving devices and the Solow tariff to lower my water consumption.

Now apparently customers on the Solow tariff are not using enough water so Anglian Water wants to implement a standing charge. These charges will add an extra 42% to my bill this year but over the three years it will amount to a 120% increase.

Corporate profits dictate efficient households on Solow are deemed to be conserving too much water if they are using less than 50 cubic meters per year.

There will be no savings to our bills only increases unless you use 50 cubic meters or more – and anyone who uses 69 – 75 cubic metres will be actually paying a higher charge than the normal metered rate.

It seems ironic that light users are being discriminated against and punished with excessive charges for saving water. This makes a total mockery out of the save water campaigns and is a flagrant insult to water efficient customers signed Sue Nicholson – Wisbech”

This is an interesting move by this water company and my prediction is that we will see other spurious charges on water bills as the water company margins are squeezed, investors and shareholders will be placing even more pressure on the water companies to maintain and increase performance. Charges such as surface water, highways drainage and property drainage charges will increase above water and waste water charges. Standing charges for water and waste will increase in an effort to re-balance the income to water companies as both residential and commercial volumes decrease due to efficiency savings, water conservation, water leak detection and repair and a general increased awareness of financial and environmental challenges.

As with gas and power bills various charges have crept in and been added and increased alongside usage charges, the same will know doubt happen in the water industry.