Water bills will go up by 8 per cent in April, Southern Water said today (Thursday 29 January) – lower than the 46.7 per cent average rise last year but still above the inflation rate. The company said that the increase for 2026-27 was for the “average household combined bill – for customers receiving both wastewater and water services”. “This is the biggest ever investment in our water infrastructure and it’s essential to keep services reliable and sustainable long term. “If you’re worried about paying your bill, support is available – and we’re here to help.”Southern Water added: “Households receiving water-only services from us will see an average bill rise of 25.8 per cent but customers receiving wastewater-only services will see a decrease of 4 per cent. “Non-household customers will see an increase in wholesale water charges of 28.1 per cent, offset by a 6.3 per cent reduction in wholesale wastewater charges.