UK households with gardens warned of tiered bill surge in eco drive | Personal Finance | Finance
People with larger gardens could end up paying more (Image: Getty)
UK houses with bigger gardens could find themselves with higher water bills. New eco plans mean that water firms may test tiered tariffs that charge more per unit as consumption rises. Households with larger gardens which could include swimming pools and hot tubs could face being “penalised”.
Water companies may test the idea in a bid to help tackle the climate crisis. Some would use smart meters to set water consumption targets which would be personalised to households. Households face possible escalating charges amid a “block pricing” trial which is to be carried out by Affinity Water.
Affinity Water supplies large parts of south-east England and could begin the trial later this year.
Homes with bigger families and more water use could end up paying more (Image: Getty)
The experiment would take place at around 14,000 homes in the South East.
A smaller trial was already tried in 2023 to 2025 on around 1,500 homes, reports The Telegraph.
People with bigger homes and larger families would likely pay even more, with experts warning the proposed system risks certain groups being penalised with higher bills.
Other water companies are developing trials – such as Portsmouth Water, which aims to test using houses with smart meters.
Britain’s biggest water company, Severn Trent, began a “rising block tariff” trial in February, affecting 5,000 homes.
Affinity said it was “still analysing the water efficiency savings” of its initial block pricing trial, saying the results would be published later this year.
Homes with pools could have to pay more (Image: Getty)
A spokesman added most customers had saved money, and said it was now looking at how to expand the trial.
Portsmouth Water said making its trials “fair and inclusive” was a priority.
“We also believe it is essential to build in protections for customers who experience life changes that may affect their water usage,” a spokesman said.
“Importantly, our approach is centred on rewarding positive behaviours rather than penalising customers.”
Water bills in England and Wales rose in April. The increase was to help fund significant upgrades to water infrastructure, Water UK said.
It follows last year’s record rise in charges, taking the national average water bill cost even higher.
At the time, David Henderson, chief executive at Water UK, said: “We understand increasing bills are never welcome, but the money is needed to fund vital upgrades.”
Companies were preparing to invest £20billion over 2026-27 to secure water supplies and end sewage entering rivers and seas, Water UK said.
