Water bills in Scotland are set to rise by 8.7 per cent from April, increasing annual charges by up to £103 and taking the average household bill to £532.
Despite the rise, bills in Scotland will remain the lowest of any UK water provider. Average water charges in England and Wales increased by 26 per cent, or £123, last April.
The increase has been approved by Water Industry Commission for Scotland, which said the rise falls within the limits it has set. Scottish Water said it had previously kept bill increases below inflation during and after the coronavirus pandemic, a decision that reduced its investment programme by between £400 million and £500 million.
The publicly owned utility said higher charges are now required to fund essential maintenance for more than five million people and to support upgrades to ageing pipes and treatment works across the country.
Water charges are typically collected alongside council tax and will rise by an average of £42 a year from April. Cosla, which represents Scotland’s 32 councils, has already warned that further council tax rises are likely following the Scottish Government’s 2026–27 budget.
The increases due to take effect in April are:
- Band A £434.88, up £32.62
- Band B £507.36, up £40.39
- Band C £579.84, up £46.16
- Band D £652.32, up £51.93
- Band E £797.28, up £63.47
- Band F £942.24, up £75.01
- Band G £1,087.20, up £86.55
- Band H £1,304.64, up £103.86
Scottish Water said the services it provides generate an overall economic value of £4.5 billion a year.
The organisation said more extreme weather and rising demand are placing increasing pressure on Scotland’s water and wastewater systems. It cited the driest start to a year in six decades in 2025, alongside a growing number of repairs as infrastructure reaches the end of its operational life.
Alex Plant, chief executive of Scottish Water, said the board was seeking to strike a balance between investment and affordability.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, he said: “The balance that we always try and get into our decisions on bills is are we making sure that we are dealing with those more extreme weather events, dealing with the growth in population we are seeing, and the shift in population from west to east, as well as trying to cope with the fact a lot of our assets are ageing.
“We need to make sure we are investing to protect these essential services but not putting up bills more than we need to.”
Scottish Water said Scotland has one of the most extensive support schemes in the UK, with 53 per cent of households receiving some form of help with their water charges.
The utility also highlighted recent improvements in performance, with drinking water compliance reaching 99.93 per cent since 2021. Serious environmental pollution incidents have fallen by 25 per cent, while internal sewer flooding incidents have been reduced by a third.
However, consumer groups have raised concerns about affordability. Gail Walker, head of water at Consumer Scotland, described the increase as “steep” and noted it was the second year in a row that bills have risen.
“This increase highlights ongoing issues of affordability for some consumers and reinforces our concerns over a significant projected rise in water poverty over the next few years,” she said.
“Consumer Scotland has recommended greater protection for low-income households by increasing existing discounts and by improving targeting to reach consumers who currently miss out on financial support and this latest increase once again highlights the need for urgent action.”