Thames Water bills increase for Buckinghamshire households as boss warns of future hikes

Thames Water bills have risen by an average of 12.1 per cent, for households in Buckinghamshire and beyond, the company has confirmed.

The increases to household bills are part of Thames Water’s revenue recovery permitted by the industry regulator Ofwat.

Thames Water’s average annual household water bills are £255 for 2024-25 – above average for the industry and the fourth highest of any water company.

However, Thames Water’s new average annual household sewerage bills are among the lowest at just £216, according to Water UK, which publishes the bills for all companies.

Thames Water’s typical unmeasured combined services bill is £571, up from £509 in the previous year – an increase of 12.1 per cent.

This includes inflation, adjustments for allowed revenue recovery, adjustments for company performance and changes to its customer base.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Investing in our services and providing support to customers with their bills is incredibly important to us.

“While charges for this year will increase, we recognise that we need to continue to improve overall customer experience and we have a refocused three-year turnaround plan to deliver a step change in our performance across our network.”

Thames Water does offer financial support schemes through WaterHelp and WaterSure to some 370,000 households. More information is available online.

In an interview with the BBC,Thames Water CEO, Chris Weston, warned that customer bills must increase by 40% by 2030 to fund essential improvements to the company’s service. National reports have also stated the company is in need of additional funding due to significant debts the provider has racked up.