The amount households pay in Scotland for water and waste water services in 2023/24 will rise by an average of 37 pence per week.
The increase – five per cent above current charges – will take effect from April 2023, and will be collected alongside council tax.
Around half of households in Scotland receive financial support as they automatically have either a discount, exemption or reduction applied to their water and wastewater charges.
Charges 2023/24
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“Our responsibility as a publicly funded body is focused on providing excellent service and water quality and reducing our impact on the environment on which we depend. ”
Douglas Millican
Chief Executive, Scottish Water
Scottish Water serves 2.6 million households supplying more than 1.5 billion litres of water and treating in excess of 1 billion litres of used and surface water daily.
The charges, which raise around £1 billion annually, support round-the-clock service that brings water to customers’ taps and cleans waste water returning it safely to the environment. Further significant increased investment is needed in the coming years to deal with ageing infrastructure and the impacts of the changing climate.
Douglas Millican, Chief Executive of Scottish Water, the fourth largest water and waste water services provider in the UK, said:
“Our core services play a vital role in the daily lives of millions of people in Scotland.
“Our responsibility as a publicly funded body is focused on providing excellent service and water quality and reducing our impact on the environment on which we depend.
“The charges for 23/24 have been set at a level which recognise the need for significant future investment to protect services, and the current economic challenges faced by many. Charge levels in the future are likely to rise to meet our strategic objectives, meet the needs of our customers and to transform services so they become as environmentally and financially-sustainable as possible.”
Water and waste water charges to licensed providers who supply businesses and other non-domestic customers will also increase by 5%.
Table of Unmetered Household Charges 2023/24
| Council Tax Band | Water Supply | Waste Water Collection | Combined Services |
| Band A | £154.98 | £179.88 | £334.86 |
| Band B | £180.81 | £209.86 | £390.67 |
| Band C | £206.64 | £239.84 | £446.48 |
| Band D | £232.47 | £269.82 | £502.29 |
| Band E | £284.13 | £329.78 | £613.91 |
| Band F | £335.79 | £389.74 | £725.53 |
| Band G | £387.45 | £449.70 | £837.15 |
| Band H | £464.94 | £539.64 | £1,004.58 |
More Info
- There are a total of 2,681,000 households in Scotland; Scottish Water provides unmetered water supply to 2,607,000 (97%). Around 73,000 households are on private water supply or are supplied via a business.
- 2,502,000 are connected to the public waste water network. Approx. 150,000 households have private septic tanks.
- Discounts, exemptions, and reductions are applicable based on several factors: number of adults per household liable for council tax and Council Tax Reduction (transferrable to Water Charge Reduction Scheme); occupancy type; vacancy.
- Scottish Water operates a vast array of assets both above ground and below ground to deliver the daily water and waste water needs of the country: 237 water treatment works; 1837 waste water treatment works; 63,500 miles of water and sewer pipes.
- During the regulatory period 2015-2021 Scottish Water invested £3.5 billion in managing assets, improving water quality, protecting the environment, and contributing to the economy. In the current regulatory period we are permitted to invest £4.5 billion, in agreement with the independent water industry regulator and Scottish Government.
- Annual customer charge levels are set with reference to the CPI inflation figure for the previous October (11.1% October 2022).
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