Low income families can save £500 a year on water bills – check if you’re eligible

LOW-INCOME households are already being hit by rising energy costs and a reduction in Universal Credit payments but you could still save money on your water bill.

Water companies offer a range of support options to struggling households that could cut your bill by up to 90% depending where you live, saving you hundreds of pounds.

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Household bills are already set to rise amid the energy crisis and inflation fears.

One regular charge is water bills, which cost £400 on average per year in England and Wales.

Unlike energy companies, you can’t shop around for a new water supplier and are left with whoever provides the supply in your area.

But low-income households and those on benefits who are already set to struggle with the end of the Universal Credit uplift, may still be able to reduce their water bills – even while other costs are rising.

Who is eligible?

Large families on Universal Credit or other benefits may be eligible for a cap on their bills under the WaterSure scheme.

To qualify for the scheme you need to already have a water meter installed, and prove you need to use a lot of water.

You also need to have three or more children under the age of 19 living in the house, and receive child benefit for them.

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Alternatively, someone living in the house must have a medical condition that means you need lots of water, such as weeping skin diseases like psoriasis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

How much could I save?

Bills are capped at the average amount for your supplier, so the amount you could save will vary.

The Consumer Council for Water estimates that bills are reduced by £270 on average through the scheme.

Yorkshire Water says its low income customers can save £534 per year on average using WaterSure.

Universal Credit claimants can also save money on their water bills by moving to a social tariff with their supplier.

Support ranges from a cap on prices to discounts of up to 90% and you need to meet your local provider’s eligibility criteria.

With the average water bill in the UK at around £410, according to industry group Water UK, that could be a saving of £369, depending where you live.

Customers typically need to have a household income of less than £16,500, excluding benefits, to get these tariffs.

You may also need to be receiving benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefits, Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

Here is what is on offer.

Price caps

Low income households on benefits that are earning below a particular threshold may be able to apply for a cap on their water bills.

You need to apply directly to the company to get the tariff.

Affinity Water offers a cap of £103.70 to low-income households in areas such as Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire on its Lift tariff.

You will need a household income below £16,385 excluding benefits.

Portsmouth Water’s Helping Hand tariff offers low income households or those on benefits earning below £16,480 per year a £77.76 cap on their bills.

Customers with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water  in Wales can get a cap on their bills of £250 per year.

This is based on a one person household with income below £9,200, or £13,900 for a two person household and £15,055 for three or more people.

South East Water customers on benefits or earning below £16,835 can get a cap of £143.12 in the east and £123.44 in the west.

United Utilities offers its customers in the north west of England a cap of £256.20 for one person receiving Pension Credit or £361.80 for two.

Low-income households with bills of more than £430 can benefit from a cap of £418 with Yorkshire Water’s WaterSupport tariff.

The cap for those in the York waterworks area is lower at £356.97.

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Discount tariffs

Other suppliers offer discounted tariffs depending on a customers financial position.

For example, Severn Trent Water, which supplies areas such as Bristol and the East Midlands, offers reductions of between 10% and 90% depending on the circumstances through its Big Difference tariff.

Similarly, Southern Water’s Essentials Tariff has discounts of 20% to 90% based on household income.

It is offered to customers with income below £16,385 and savings of below £16,000.

Cambridge Water customers can get a 60% reduction in the first year and 40% after if they receive Pension Credit or earn below £16,380.

The Consumer Council for Water has a handy list of the social tariffs that are on offer based on your local provider.

It comes as Universal Credit claimants are facing a hit to their income after the £20 weekly uplift ended.

Household costs are also rising due to the energy crisis.

This has led to predictions that inflation will cost families £1,800 by the end of the year.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk