Water and waste water charges for 2023-24 announced
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The amount households pay in Scotland for water and waste water services in 2023/24 will rise by an average of 37 pence per week.
The increase – 5 per cent above current charges – will take effect from April 2023, and will be collected alongside council tax.
Around half of households in Scotland receive financial support as they automatically have either a discount, exemption or reduction applied to their water and waste water charges.
Scottish Water serves 2.6 million households, supplying more than 1.5 billion litres of water and treating in excess of 1 billion litres of used and surface water daily.
The charges, which raise about £1 billion annually, support round-the-clock services that bring water to customers’ taps and cleans waste water, returning it safely to the environment.
Further significant increased investment is needed in the coming years to deal with ageing infrastructure and the impacts of the changing climate.
Douglas Millican, chief executive of Scottish Water, the fourth largest water and waste water services provider in the UK, said: “Our core services play a vital role in the daily lives of millions of people in Scotland.
“Our responsibility as a publicly funded body is focused on providing excellent service and water quality and reducing our impact on the environment on which we depend.
“The charges for 2023/24 have been set at a level which recognises the need for significant future investment to protect services, and the current economic challenges faced by many.
“Charge levels in the future are likely to rise to meet our strategic objectives, meet the needs of our customers and to transform services so they become as environmentally and financially-sustainable as possible.”
Water and waste water charges to licensed providers who supply businesses and other non- domestic customers will also increase by 5 per cent.
