The amount households pay for water and waste water services will rise by 4.2 % in 2022/23.
The new annual charges, collected alongside local authority council tax, will mean an average bill increase of 31 pence per week. 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.
Scottish Water serves 2.6 million households supplying 1.5 billion litres of water and removing and cleaning 1 billion litres of used and surface water daily.
Water and waste water charges, which raise almost £1 billion annually, supports service delivery, investment in ageing infrastructure and improvements in water quality and environmental protection.
Scottish Water needs to increase investment to protect services against the impact of climate change, reduce carbon emissions and ensure customers have reliable and resilient services in future.
Douglas Millican, chief executive of Scottish Water, the fourth largest water services provider in the UK, said: “Customers rely on our services for their daily water needs and to take away and clean the water they use. Over the last two years those services have been vital to maintaining public health during the pandemic.
“We have been recognised as leading in the water sector in the UK on customer service excellence, the quality of Scotland’s drinking water remains very high, and we are investing to protect the environment from pollution.
“Higher levels of investment are needed to protect services now and over the long term, particularly in meeting the challenges of more intense rainfall, flooding, and drought, and reducing carbon emissions.
“We understand there needs to be a balance between the need for higher levels of investment and the financial challenges faced by households at the present time. We have set charges at a level that takes account of those challenges while being open and clear that charges will need to increase further in future years.”
Water and waste water charges to licensed providers who supply businesses and other non-domestic customers will also increase by 4.2%.
Table Of Unmetered Household Charges 22/23
| Council Tax Band | Water Supply | Waste Water Collection | Combined Services |
| Band A | £147.60 | £171.36 | £318.96 |
| Band B | £172.20 | £199.92 | £372.12 |
| Band C | £196.80 | £228.48 | £425.28 |
| Band D | £221.40 | £257.04 | £478.44 |
| Band E | £270.60 | £314.16 | £584.76 |
| Band F | £319.80 | £371.28 | £691.08 |
| Band G | £369.00 | £428.40 | £797.40 |
| Band H | £442.80 | £514.08 | £956.88 |
- There are a total of 2,653,000 households in Scotland; Scottish Water provides unmetered water supply to 2,579,000 (97%). Around 73,000 households are on private water supply or are supplied via a business.
- 2,475,000 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.
- Annual customer charge levels are set with reference to the CPI inflation figure for the previous October (4.2% October 2021).
