Latest figures released show that the number of vulnerable people needing debt help with their water bills has soared by 20 per cent in the last year.
According to water regulator Ofwat there are many people who could relieve debt problems and benefit from lower bills, but thousands aren’t using the reduced WaterSure tariff even though they qualify.
The WaterSure tariff, previously the Vulnerable Groups Scheme, is open to people on water meters who receive tax credits or benefits and have responsibility for three children or more (aged under 19).
It was introduced in 2000 and allows those in the scheme to pay no more than the average household bill for their region.
The WaterSure tariff is also available to households where somebody has a medical condition that means they need more water, such as Crohn’s disease or Eczema.
Ofwat Chief Executive Regina Finn said: “Unfortunately there are still many people out there who could benefit from the tariff who do not know about it.”
Ivan Cooper, Chairman at debt help specialists Chiltern, said: “Thousands of water customers are struggling with their bills because they aren’t being made aware of the reduced tariff.
“More should be done to offer debt advice to vulnerable people who are struggling to maintain their payments, as no doubt they will also be struggling to get out of debt with other payments too.”
Ofwat recently revealed how much companies could charge for water and sewerage in 2010 to 2015, announcing that the typical bill in England and Wales should be cut by £14 to £330 over the five years, excluding inflation, although the companies had wanted prices to rise.
