Clean water is the most basic human need. At a time when people on low incomes are struggling with low wages and high fuel bills, action is needed to help people with the extra pressure of rising water costs.
For many people, water costs can too easily be an extra burden and even small rises can create real financial problems. In the past year, Citizens Advice bureaux helped people with 79,000 problems about their water supply debts.
Customers cannot take matters into their own hands when prices rise or they receive poor service. They are unable to switch to a cheaper water supplier or tariff, like they can with their energy and phones. It is vital that water suppliers and the regulator do everything they can to ensure prices are kept as low as possible and that people who are struggling can get the support they need to get on top of their bills.
The introduction of social tariffs has been a good first step in helping low-income people with squeezed finances. However, the current system means that the type and availability of help comes down to location. A family finding it difficult to manage costs may have help available to them in one part of the country but not in another.
Support to help people manage their finances needs to be fair and universal. Citizens Advice wants to see all water suppliers offering a single consistent social tariff, with the same criteria. A national tariff would stop people missing out on essential support.