Scottish Water bills to rise by 8.7% in April

Household water bills will increase by 8.67% in April, Scottish Water has announced.

It means household water and waste water bills will rise by £42 per year on average, with the increase taking the average annual charge in Scotland to £532.

Scottish Water, which is publicly owned, said the money will enable it to maintain essential services for more than five million people and support investment to upgrade infrastructure.

It said the country’s water and waste water system is facing increasing pressure including growing demand and more extreme weather.

Scotland had its driest start to the year in six decades in 2025 with rainfall at just 59% of normal levels and daily demand spiked by 100 million litres.

Other challenges include an increase in repairs as older infrastructure comes to the end of its operational life.

Alex Plant, Scottish Water chief executive, said: “We understand any rise is unwelcome, but as a publicly-owned organisation every penny our customers pay goes into improving services for people in Scotland – from tackling ageing pipes, to responding to ever more extreme weather, to enabling new homes to be built.

“We know that sustainable investment now protects customers from higher costs in the future.”

The 8.67% increase is in line with limits set by the independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), Scottish Water said.

The increase will apply from April.

Most households in Scotland pay water and waste water charges through their council tax bill, based on the council tax band of their home.