United Utilities to hike water bills across Lancashire from AprilResidents will see some of the steepest rises across the countryView Image The rises come as water companies prepare to invest £20 billion over the next yearUnited Utilities will hike water bills by nine per cent from April, adding around £57 a year to the average household bill across the North West. ‌United Utilities, which supplies most of the North West including Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester Merseyside, is among the firms imposing the steepest increases in the country. The rises come as water companies prepare to invest £20 billion over the next year to secure water supplies and reduce sewage discharges into rivers and seas, according to industry body Water UK. Affinity Water will raise bills by 13 per cent, Bristol Water by 12 per cent, and Sutton and East Surrey Water by 11 per cent. It is expected that an additional 300,000 households will be handed help with water bills over the coming year.