Severn Trent says Derbyshire customers get good deal - as water bills spike
Many Derbyshire households have been hit with a costly surprise in recent weeks as they discovered dramatic increases in their water bills for the year ahead – but supplier Severn Trent insists customers are getting a good deal.
The Derbyshire Times has seen a flood of reports in neighbourhood forums from residents facing bills hundreds of pounds higher than they paid last year.
Some have written to us expressing their anger, and a petition set up by one local businessowner has attracted hundreds of signatures calling on Severn Trent to reconsider its demands.
One summed up the situation as: “Absolutely disgusting you keep punishing the old, vulnerable and working class.”
The increase in water bills comes at a time when many households are also facing fresh hikes in energy bills and Council Tax, extending a cost-of-living crisis which has been squeezing the nation for several years already.
At the same time, there has been a growing awareness and outcry over the industry’s failures, from creaking infrastructure and wasteful leaks to the discharge of sewage along Britain’s waterways and coastlines – all while executives and shareholders take home significant pay and dividends.
Not every customer will see the same scale of increase – it can vary based on factors such as meter usage and the value of their property.
But according to analysis by the Consumer Council for Water, Severn Trent customers can expect the financial pressure to keep flowing.
The company’s average bill for water and sewerage in 2024-25 was reported at £398, but Severn Trent says this year it will be £556—around £1.52 per day.
That annual figure is projected to rise to £642 by 2029-30 in the latest five-year business plan submitted to regulator Ofwat.
However, Severn Trent says its bills this year will be lower than those in most other parts of England and Wales, £47 below the national average, and that is preparing a £575million support package to assist around 700,000 households which face the greatest difficulty in paying.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We’re clear that no Severn Trent customer should worry about paying their bill, that’s why we have plenty of support available and worked hard to keep it as low and affordable as possible.
“Our water bill remains the second lowest bill in the country, with value for money given the huge investment taking place. We know any price increase is worrying, which is why we wrote to customers to tell them about their bill, the help available, and the investment taking place where they live.”
They added: “We’ve also increased the level of financial support available where our customers could receive up to 70 per cent off their bill or support with debt.
“By 2030, we expect to be supporting around 700,000 households with some form of financial support in one of the most extensive financial support packages in the industry.”
Customers are advised to check if they meet the criteria for any of the various support schemes, designed to help people on low incomes, those with medical conditions or living alone, for instance.
Furthermore, the company says all customers will eventually see the benefit of their payments, in the form of improvements to the supply network and a promise of £2billion spent on improving river health by preventing further sewage spills from storm overflows.
The spokesperson said: “We’re preparing to deliver £15bn investment over the next five years, the equivalent of £3,000 for every household we serve. In Derbyshire, some of what we’re investing includes £90m in water treatment processes, as well as £52m on laying 110m miles of new pipes creating nearly 50 local jobs.”
For details of the assistance available to billpayers, go to stwater.co.uk/help.