Water companies across England and Wales have received approval to increase customer bills by an additional £3.4bn in the coming years. This is intended to address increased pressures on infrastructure and the environment.
For customers in most parts of Wales, this means a 27% increase in water bills from April 2025, raising the average annual bill from £503 to £639. This marks the beginning of a five-year period of bill increases from Welsh Water, which will total 42% by 2029-30.
Welsh Water, the main water and sewerage supplier for Wales, has stated it is working to support its most vulnerable customers. The company plans to invest £4.2bn by 2030 to improve services and aims to reduce leakage in its network by 24% by 2030.
Figures obtained by the Welsh Liberal Democrats indicate that Welsh Water lost 85,000 million litres of water due to leaks in 2024/2025. Hafren Dyfrdwy, serving north east Wales, lost 5,400 million litres in the same year. A Welsh Water spokesperson attributed some bursts to drying soil conditions caused by climate change.