UTILITYPRICES INSIGHT
Water company household bill averages for 2026/27
Water UK’s forecast average combined household bills for 2026/27 range from £535 a year for Northumbrian Water to £759 for Southern Water in England and Wales.
Water UK’s 2026/27 household bill averages differ substantially by company: forecast combined water-and-sewerage averages run from £535 a year for Northumbrian Water to £759 a year for Southern Water, a £224 annual gap. These are published household bill totals for England and Wales from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027; Water UK does not separately state their VAT treatment, and no extra VAT has been added. [1]
Combined bill averages
Water UK gives a national combined average of £639 a year for 2026/27 in England and Wales, as a published household bill total with no separately stated VAT treatment. The company averages are £674 for Anglian Water, £683 for Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), £635 for Hafren Dyfrdwy, £535 for Northumbrian Water, £587 for Severn Trent Water, £740 for South West Water, £759 for Southern Water, £658 for Thames Water, £660 for United Utilities, £695 for Wessex Water and £636 for Yorkshire Water. Each is a forecast annual average for combined water and sewerage, rather than a price per cubic metre. [1]
Water-only averages
Water UK also lists water-only forecast annual household averages for 2026/27 in England and Wales. These published household bill totals have no separately stated VAT treatment. They range from £162 for Portsmouth Water to £333 for Essex and Suffolk Water, a £171 annual difference calculated from the published whole-pound figures. The other averages are £266 for Affinity Water Central, £280 for Affinity Water East, £294 for Affinity Water South east, £205 for Bournemouth Water, £264 for Bristol Water, £324 for South East Water, £210 for South Staffs Water Cambridge, £230 for South Staffs Water South Staffs, and £257 for Sutton & East Surrey Water. [1]
What the categories show
The combined figures cover water and sewerage, while Water UK says its water-only figures exclude sewerage. That is why a water-only average should not be compared directly with a combined bill average. The separate Affinity Water and South Staffs Water entries also show that Water UK publishes different averages for their named regions. The figures are company forecast averages, not tariff quotes and not unit prices. [1]
Comparing your position
A household served by a company in the combined list can use the relevant company average as a broad 2026/27 benchmark, rather than assuming the national £639 combined average reflects its own position. For a water-only entry, compare it with another water-only figure instead. Water UK says that an individual metered bill depends on usage and tariff components. It also says that an unmetered bill can depend on rateable value or assessed use. [1]
Scope and caveats
These are forecasts published by Water UK for the 12 months from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, which includes the publication date of this article. They cover England and Wales only; Water UK points to separate Scottish and Northern Irish sources on its site. The published totals do not give a separate VAT treatment, so they are reported here exactly as household bill totals, without adding VAT. They are averages and cannot establish an individual household’s charge, tariff components or metered consumption. [1]
What to check
Check whether the figure on your own paperwork is described as water-only or as combined water and sewerage before using Water UK’s averages as a comparison. For a metered household, check the recorded usage and tariff components alongside the annual amount. For an unmetered household, check whether the bill refers to rateable value or assessed use, as these are factors Water UK identifies for individual bills. [1]
Sources
Written with AI assistance for UtilityPrices. Isla Brookes is a UtilityPrices house pen name for our AI-assisted editorial desk, not a real person. Sources are listed above. How we use sources and AI →