Martin Lewis urges Britons to ‘check now’ as woman makes £714 a year saving on water bills ahead of hike

Martin Lewis urges Britons to ‘check now’ as woman makes £714 a year saving on water bills ahead of hike

Liam Halligan on Ofgem's increase to energy bills

GB NEWS
Patrick O'Donnell

By Patrick O'Donnell


Published: 07/02/2024

- 10:37

Households are preparing for water bills to rise in April but some families will be able to make savings if they install a meter

Martin Lewis is urging Britons to “check” their home after one woman saved £714 a year on her household water bills.

Water and sewage bills are expected to rise by up to 20 per cent in a couple of months with the financial journalist declaring that “April showers will cost more”.


In England and Wales, the average bill will be raised by £28, or 6.2 per cent a year, taking a typical annual bill from £445 to £473, according Water UK.

During last night’s episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, the savings expert outlined why certain families on a water bill will likely cut costs significantly.

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Martin Lewis and woman looking at bill

Martin Lewis is urging people to 'check' their water bill

GETTY/PA IMAGES

Mr Lewis explained: “Water bills and meters will rise by six per cent on average in England and Wales.

“[Some] 20 of the 22 water and sewage firms are raising prices, the most is 20 per cent. You should check now if you should be on a water meter.”

According to Mr Lewis, if there are more bedrooms than people in a home, households are likely better off using a water meter rather than a water bill

This is because water bills tend to be a “rough” estimate based on how much the home is worth on the market.

In comparison, water meters calculate how much someone owes their supplier depending on usage instead of a fixed amount.

He urged viewers to go onto the Consumer Council for Water’s website to use the authority’s calculator to determine how much switching to a water meter can save them.

Those looking to get a water meter installed will need to go onto their provider's website and see if they can apply.

If so, households will usually need to complete an application form or call their supplier to ask for one.

Water bills statement read by bill payer

Water bills are set to rise by as much as 20 per cent

GETTY

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live host added: “Most water companies let you change back after a year but do check how you’re going to be doing on that particular one.”

During the show, Mr Lewis highlighted the success of one viewer named Naomi who made significant savings on her water bill.

She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “We moved into our property four years ago and were paying £90 a month (£1,080 a year).

“I volunteered for a water meter about a year later and are now only paying £30.50 per month, that’s a saving of £714 per year. Definitely worth doing, thanks Martin.”

However, Martin Lewis noted that households living in Scotland will not be eligible for a free water meter with water bills expected to rise by nine per cent on average.

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live is available to watch on the ITV Hub.

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