Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, which provides water and wastewater services to most of Wales, as well as parts of Herefordshire and Deeside in England, has announced that the average household customer bill will increase by 4.8% in 2026-27, from £652 to £683.
The company said in a statement:
“The price rise will help ensure the company delivers its aim of providing world class water services to the communities it serves. Following the price rise Welsh Water customers will on average pay less than £2 a day for their water and wastewater services.
“This increase is among the lowest for water and sewage companies across Wales and England. Between 2025-30 more than £4bn will be invested in Welsh Water’s services – double the investment of 2020-25 – and includes £2.5bn on projects to improve the environment.
“The investment will fund work to reduce pollution, upgrade and build new vital assets, reduce leakage, and improve water quality.”
Janet Finch-Saunders, Senedd Member for Aberconwy commented on the rise, saying:
“Once again, households across Wales are being asked to pay more for a basic necessity. Annual increases to water bills may seem small on paper, but when combined with rising council tax, energy costs and food prices, they play a very real strain on family finances.
“Water is not a luxury, it is an essential service, and affordability must be at the heart of decision making when it comes to bills. For elderly residents, young families and those on low incomes, these repeated increases risk forcing difficult choices between heating, food and other essentials.
“I believe there must now be greater transparency and accountability, alongside stronger support for those who are finding it hard to pay their bills. Welsh Water and Welsh Government must put affordability at the heart of decision making and ensure households are not continually asked to shoulder rising costs without meaningful protections in place.”
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water said:
“Welsh Water’s most vulnerable customers can benefit from the company’s social tariff schemes that help make bills more affordable.
“The company’s not-for-profit model allows any surplus money to be re-invested, providing £14.7m of social tariff provision with the capacity to assist 147,000 customers.
New Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Chief Executive Roch Cheroux said:
“As I start my new role at Welsh Water my focus is firmly on aiming at delivering world class water services for our customers and their communities.
“It’s vitally important that we deliver the service customers want at a price that they can afford.
“We understand that the recent price rises have been substantial at a time of rising costs across the board for our customers.
“Our aim is to deliver value for money, and we will work tirelessly to show our customers the value of all that we do for their communities and the environment.”