Southern Water price increase 2024/25

UncleK

Southern Water's website states that "for the average household, water only bills will go up by 7.7%". Later down the page, under "Charges for assessed properties" there's a table showing that water charge prices for single occupier properties drop by 9.6% and for 1 to 5 bedroom properties, prices increase by 14.1%. Ignoring metered properties, for a moment, that means 27% of properties are single occupier properties to make the average work, if my maths is right. Does that sound about right?
Of course, in actual pounds, the drop is £12.16 for a single occupier property but the increase is £22.68 for a one bedroom property, £31.15 for a three bedroom property and £34.05 for a five bedroom property. Cunning, eh?

MattMattMattUK

UncleK said:

Southern Water's website states that "for the average household, water only bills will go up by 7.7%". Later down the page, under "Charges for assessed properties" there's a table showing that water charge prices for single occupier properties drop by 9.6% and for 1 to 5 bedroom properties, prices increase by 14.1%. Ignoring metered properties, for a moment, that means 27% of properties are single occupier properties to make the average work, if my maths is right. Does that sound about right?

Probably yes, most single occupier assessed properties will be flats where meters cannot be fitted.

UncleK said:

Of course, in actual pounds, the drop is £12.16 for a single occupier property but the increase is £22.68 for a one bedroom property, £31.15 for a three bedroom property and £34.05 for a five bedroom property. Cunning, eh?

Not really, just the nature of the differential in water uses. 

UncleK

Extract from Southern Water's reply, for anyone interested:
"The vast majority of stakeholders (including Ofwat) and commentators prefer to use combined average bill as the most helpful and comparable figure. It is worked out by taking the total revenue gained via bills and dividing it by the total number of customers. 

Note the clear variance between our 2024-25 Household “average” bill increase of 9.0% compared to increases for “typical” Household combined bills of 13.6%. This typical increase is more reflective of what most households will experience if their consumption remains constant from one year to the next – but is rarely referenced."

lela87

I have to pay southern water and south east water as one brings it in and out takes it out. I am going to get hit by 2 large price rises. It's unfair!
I can't even drink the tap water as it is undrinkable, but the water company says there's nothing wrong with it.
Why are we paying for badly manged companies to pay CEOs etc massive bonuses? 

MattMattMattUK

lela87 said:

I have to pay southern water and south east water as one brings it in and out takes it out. I am going to get hit by 2 large price rises. It's unfair!

The percentage increase is the same, it makes no difference.

lela87 said:

I can't even drink the tap water as it is undrinkable, but the water company says there's nothing wrong with it.

All tap water in the UK is tested and audited, if you think you have issues with your supply you can pay to have it tested, that cost would be refunded if there was found to be an issue with your supply.

lela87 said:

Why are we paying for badly manged companies to pay CEOs etc massive bonuses? 

We are largely paying for decades of underinvestment. CEO pay is an irrelevantly small component of the bills, 27p per customer. Mismanagement is a component, but that has been entirely overseen by Ofwat, which is ultimately controlled by the government.