Household water bills across England and Wales will rise by an average of 5.4% from April, the industry has confirmed. Ofwat has allowed water firms to put up bills by 36% between 2025 and 2030, with most of that – 20% or an average £86 – front-loaded on to last April’s annual rise. “While we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult. CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: “We’ve seen complaints brought to CCW about the affordability of water bills almost triple in the past year and further bill rises will compound people’s worries. Until water companies are owned and governed for public and environmental benefit, using long-term patient capital, we will keep seeing regulatory failure and polluted rivers.”