How to get HUNDREDS of pounds off your water bill if you’re struggling
FAMILIES are being rinsed by rising water bills - but there are ways to get help to pay them if you're struggling.
From today, April 1, the average combined water bill will rise from £412 a year to £419 on average, according to WaterUK.
That's £7 more household's will have to fork out - but the exact hit you'll take will depend on where you live, how much you're charged and the rate its increasing by.
A Sun investigation found you could be paying way more than this per year as bills go up.
We found that some households will have to pay £36 a year more.
With other bills like energy, food and fuel soaring, it means that millions will see their budgets squeezed to the max.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
But there is help at hand if you are struggling to pay your way.
We explain how you can get extra cash for your bills - and who is eligible.
Help for those on benefits - up to £534
Lower income families can apply to the WarerSure scheme to save hundreds of pounds on their bill each year.
If you claim Universal Credit or a number of other benefits, you may be able to cap your water bill.
Most read in Money
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.
Or, you need to prove you have a medical condition that you need additional water for.
That could be conditions like weeping skin diseases such as psoriasis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
Suppliers cap the cost of water bills under this scheme at the average household bill your water company charges.
Ask your own supplier what schemes it has or of the different help available.
The Consumer Council for Water estimates you'll save £270 on average.
But depending on who your supplier is, you could save much more - Yorkshire Water said its customers can save £534 a year.
Supplier's own schemes - up to £350
As well as offering the WaterSure scheme to struggling households, suppliers offer their own help schemes too.
Many water companies offer help to customers who cannot afford to pay their bills.
Exactly what help you can get and who is eligible will depend on who your supplier is.
But Yorkshire Water for example says customers can get make an average saving of £212 from its WaterSupport scheme.
Your annual bill must be £421.42 or more, and you must give proof that you're struggling to pay your bills - this could be bank statements, benefit award notices and wage slips.
Thames Water will slash 50% off your bill if you earn below £16,480, or below £20,111 in London boroughs.
While Severn Trent could get up to 90% off their bill under the Big Difference Scheme - you have to have a household income below £16,480.
The average household bill for Severn Trent customers is £389 per year now prices have hiked - that means that you could get £350 off your bill.
Get a water meter - save £200
A water meter is a device that measures how much water you use.
Your supplier will use it to take more accurate readings to charge you your bill.
It could wipe hundreds off your bill if there's less people living in your house than there are bedrooms.
The average saving after getting a meter is £200 a year, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
But we've spoken to families who have managed to save even more than this and halve their bills.
You can request a water meter free of charge from whoever is your water company, Citizens Advice says.
But before you go ahead and ask your supplier to install one, use the on the CCW website to estimate if you could save money and whether its worth switching.
If for some reason you can't get one installed, your water company may be able to put you on a cheaper tariff.
Wipe your debt
Some suppliers might agree to reduce or wipe your debt if you're struggling to pay your water bills.
Yorkshire Water, for example, offers awards to customers who are in arrears of between £50 and £2,000 to help them pay off their debt.
While South East Water will also offer grants to those in debt under its Helping Hand scheme - your debt must have been built up over a number of years.
There is no guarantee of how much you can be awarded - it will depend on who your supplier is and your financial situation.
You should get in touch with your water provider to ask for more details.
One water expert gives his top tips on reducing bills.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
Martin Lewis recently urged households to check whether they should get a meter to save as much as £500 a year.
Meanwhile, a fan of the consumer guru explains how he saved £360 a year on water bills by using a meter.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team?
Email us at [email protected]