Independent Age Chief Executive Joanna Elson, CBE said:
“Ofwat’s announcements today confirm that many people will be facing significant increases in their water bills from next year. This is extremely worrying; any increase will further stretch the limited budgets of older people living in financial hardship. Our own polling revealed 75% of older people living on a low income (under £15k) in England would find it difficult to afford an increase of 40% on their water bills, the average increase originally proposed by the water companies. Unlike other utilities, you can’t shop around for better water deals, you must go with your local provider. This means many people will be stuck with a severe bill increase they simply cannot afford.
“The older people living in financial hardship that we speak to have been forced to make drastic cutbacks to reduce their water costs. We have heard harrowing accounts of people showering less, reducing the amount of laundry they do and even cutting down on how often they flush the toilet. Having to make changes like this can be socially isolating and detrimental to someone’s mental and physical health. This shouldn’t be happening in modern Britain.
“Social tariffs are available to help those living on a low income, but the generosity and eligibility criteria of these tariffs can also vary greatly depending on where you live. The new UK Government must grasp the opportunity to end this unfair postcode lottery by introducing a single social tariff. A person’s address shouldn’t determine the level of support they receive towards essential bills, and nobody in later life should have to limit their water usage just to get by.”