Yorkshire Water water bill help: How Sheffield households may be able to save money on their water bill
Yorkshire Water bosses are offering help to people to cut their water bills.
The company will hold a drop-in shop in Sheffield this weekend to explain how low-income households or anyone struggling to pay can fix their water bills.
The supplier has announced the cost of running the tap at home will increase by an average of £135 in 2025/26, a jump of 28.9 per cent and equivalent to around £11 a month.
Yorkshire Water claims it is using the money to fund an £8.3bn investment programme.
But the announcement has been unwelcome news for many amid rising bills, and a recent Ofwat ruling that fined the supplier for £40m over failures principally caused by failing to invest in its networks.
Now, Yorkshire Water says it will be holding sessions at Sheffield Town Hall this Saturday (April 12) to promote support schemes for low-income households, people on benefits and billpayers with arrears.
They include:
- WaterSupport: A bill cap scheme for low-income households worth up to £270. You might be eligible if you have household income below £20,000, or below £26,000 with dependents
- WaterSure: A bill cap scheme for customers who have a water meter, claim an income-based benefit, claim Universal Credit and need to use extra water because they have a medical condition or three or more children.
- Community Trust: A debt support scheme for customers who have have arrears with Yorkshire Water between £50 and £1500 and at least one priority debt.
- Water Direct: A debt support scheme for customers who receive a deductible income-based benefit that will take payments directly from benefits.
- Resolve: A debt support scheme for customers who are struggling to catch up on previous water bills.
The supplier claims events like the one in Sheffield this weekend over the last month have saved over 90 customers a combined total of £26,000 on their water bills, an average of £277.37 per customer.
The increase in bill support comes following the announcement that water bills in the region will increase by an average of £135 (28.9%) in 2025-26, around £11 per month, to help fund an £8.3bn investment programme, which includes Yorkshire Water’s largest ever environmental investment package.
Imran Patel, director of customer experience at Yorkshire Water, said: “The next five years are really important for us, for the environment, and for our customers, as we deliver an £8.3bn investment programme to help us meet expectations and regulatory requirements.
"We know that some of our customers are struggling with their bills, and will find increases to bills unmanageable, and this is why we are visiting communities with low levels of uptake of our financial support schemes to discuss the support we have available.
“We’ve had some fantastic success stories from these events already and it’s great to raise even more awareness of the support that is available. One family in Bradford was able to save £700 on their annual bill by registering for WaterSupport, another will save an estimated £600 by having a meter fitted, whilst one customer in Doncaster saved £400 by signing up to another one of our schemes.”
Customers can also find details of financial support schemes and eligibility at https://www.yorkshirewater.com/bill-account/help-paying-your-bill/ or reach out by contacting 03451 299 299