Water Charges in Bideford Set to Rise

Water charges in Bideford are set to rise as South West Water increase costs in line with rising inflation rates.

From April 1 2011, the average annual household bill for water and sewerage services in the region is expected to increase by 5.1% to £517. However South West Water (SWW) states that an estimated 20,000 customers will reduce their bills by an average of between £350 and £400 this year by switching to a meter .

Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Under the current system of regulation, water companies are allowed to add inflation to the price limits agreed with Ofwat.

“We recognise that water companies are facing some additional costs in other areas and that there are ‘swings and roundabouts’ on this issue. However many water companies and their shareholders will benefit from higher inflation." 

SWW Chief Executive Chris Loughlin said: "We will be making a huge £159 million investment in the infrastructure and economy of our region when many other organisations will be reducing their spend. I am sure that will come as good news to hundreds of our suppliers and the thousands who work for them.

"Our investment over the last 20 years has helped underpin the South West economy while protecting its environment. We will keep doing that but in new ways such as our pioneering Upstream Thinking programme to restore wetlands. This will lessen the need to build more costly treatment plants by naturally purifying raw water long before its reach us.

"We also know some customers do have problems paying their bills. That's why we are offering water-saving packs to all our customers this year and using local Citizens Advice Bureaux and debt advisors across the region to get help to those in most need under our £1million FreshStart scheme .

"Our much-praised WaterCare scheme has already helped thousands and we will be expanding it to offer free energy audits and grants advice as well as water-saving devices, benefit and metering checks."

If you want to save water and lower your bill free water-saving packs containing toilet flush reducers, a shower timer and flow control, a tap insert and top tips leaflet can be ordered by going to www.southwestwater.co.uk/freekit 

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