My area

Investing in your local area

To keep delivering clean, high quality tap water and protect our environment, we need to continue improving our water and wastewater systems.

This means that our prices have increased this year by more than the rate of inflation. However, our rates are still among the lowest in the country. 

Why has my bill changed?

Over the next five years, we’re investing £2.6 billion in the region to improve the local water and sewer network. To support this investment, bills will go up alongside increased investment from shareholders.

 
This major investment will upgrade key infrastructure, including pipelines, treatment works and pumping stations. These improvements will not only help protect the environmental, but also make sure you continue to receive a reliable, high-quality water and wastewater service.  

How much is my bill increasing?

On average, bills will increase by around £1.53 per week, or £79 per year for your water and wastewater services. This is the lowest increase in water bills in the UK and our bills will remain among the lowest in the country.  

As bills went down by 18% in 2020, this year's increase means your bill will be about the same as it was in 2020, plus the increases in inflation over the last six years.  
 

Every penny of this increase is going directly into improving our region. We’re also committed to spending 60p of every pound with local suppliers to make sure this investment stays in our region to support jobs and our local economy.  

Over the next five years this investment in the North East region will include a number of key projects, including:

• Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley – a £155m investment in the resilience and quality of water supplies for 200,000 customers across the south of County Durham and into Teesside.
• Springwell Village - a £56m investment in the creation of a new reservoir and connecting water mains. This will protect and enhance the water supplies for more than 250,000 customers across South Tyneside and Wearside.

These will also create 3,000 jobs per year across Northumbrian Water Group and contribute £5.7bn to the North East economy through employment and the use of local suppliers. 

Help with your bill

We understand that an increase in bills will be concerning. Last year we helped over 100,000 customers with financial support, and we want to continue to help those who need it.  That's why we have lots of support available. 

Use our eligibility checker to find out which financial support schemes you can apply for.