Despite a near 10% price increase, water bills in Scotland will remain £113 cheaper than in England and Wales, Scottish Water has announced.
The SNP is using this price comparison to challenge Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, asserting that Scotland’s publicly owned water system is more advantageous than the privatised model in the rest of the UK.
Starting in April, Scottish residents will face a 9.9% hike in their water bills, with those in the lowest council tax band A paying over £400 for water and waste services for the first time, following last year’s 8.8% rise and a 5% increase in 2023.
In contrast, Water UK has confirmed that water bills in England and Wales are set to surge by an average of 26% or £123 from April, bringing the average cost from £480 to £603 in the 2025-26 period.
The industry south of the border is operated by several private entities and regulated by the government watchdog, Ofwat.
SNP MSP Willie Coffey has called on Mr Sarwar to recognise that the privatisation strategy advocated by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is flawed.
Coffey argues that public ownership in Scotland ensures significant savings for Scots, especially during the cost of living crisis, and contrasts with the profit-driven companies in England.
Conversely, Scottish Labour has accused the SNP of ‘gaslighting’ the Scots over the issue.
Amid criticisms of steep executive pay and high bill increases under the SNP’s watch, opposition figures argue that the SNP is burdening Scottish families with excessive costs.
Last year, Consumer Scotland highlighted that one in ten Scottish households were experiencing water poverty, with water and sewerage costs consuming more than 5% of their disposable income.
Furthermore, a Defra spokesman criticised the current state of the water sector in England, citing “record sewage spills and crumbling water infrastructure.”
The government has introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill, aiming to place stricter regulations on water companies, including the potential for criminal charges against executives of firms that violate environmental standards.
This ongoing legislative effort promises harsher penalties for polluting firms, as the bill makes its way through Westminster.
