Scottish water bills increase is a third of England’s
Water bills in England are rising much more than in Scotland. You would not know that from watching BBC Breakfast as they presented the rise as an average £10 a month for England and 10% for Scotland. The average rise for Scotland is £3.68 – about one-third of the English rise.
England is the only country in the developed world to have fully privatised its water. Scotland did not go down that road and as a result, Scottish waterways are much cleaner than in England and water bills are lower.
The gulf in average water charges between England and Scotland is widening over time. And Scotland has a more progressive way of helping the poorest households with water bills, based on their council tax band.
The 16 million people who have to get their water supply from Thames Water are seeing their water bills go up by more than 35 per cent and Thames Water believes they should go higher still. Their bills are expected to rise by around £151, reaching an average £639 next year. Thames Water has paid more than £7 billion to shareholders and is struggling to service its enormous debts. It is just taking another loan -£900mn of the first £1.4bn of this loan will go on high interest rates and advisory fees. Less than half the amount the company is looking to borrow will be available to provide any of the repairs to their water and sewerage system that are so desperately needed. Thames Water users are the only source of revenue for the company so they will have to pay this bill.