If you’re struggling to pay your water bill, you may be one of thousands of households who are eligible for help through a repayment scheme.
All water companies should offer you a repayment or “restart” plan which is designed to help you clear your debt quicker - or even write it off completely.
The type of repayment plans do vary between suppliers, but the general idea is that if you agree to pay off a certain amount, they will also pay something toward your debt.
For example, United Utilities will match £1 for every £1 you pay and increase that to £2 if you continue making payments.
Some companies will even wipe some of your debt if you continue to make repayments.
Thames Water says that it will work out an affordable payment plan based on income and outgoings, if customers are eligible.
In an example, Thames Water says if your current water bill costs you £360 a year (£30 a month) and you have £800 worth of debt, it will agree for you to pay an extra £10 a month towards what you owe.
Are you worried about affording your water bill? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
Thames Water would then match this monthly £10 payment in a lump sum of £60 every six months.
After two years, you’d have paid £240 towards your £800 debt, and Thames Water would have matched this with another £240 - meaning you’d have cleared £480 of your £800 debt.
“To say thank you for your contributions, we’d then clear the remaining balance of £320 via a final grant,” the company said online.
As each repayment scheme does vary between companies, you should contact your water supplier directly to see if you're eligible for help.
More households will be looking for help with their bills after rates for water and sewage in England and Wales rose 1.7% on average this month.
Some households may find their bills rise more or less than this average figure - for example, people in Essex will see bills rising by 10%.
How to get help paying water bills
You water supplier cannot cut off your supply - but they could take you to court if you fall behind on your bills.
This means it is important to talk to your water company as soon as possible if you're struggling to meet your repayments.
Apart from putting you on a payment plan, other support they may be able to offer you is a social tariff that makes your bills lower.
You may also benefit from getting a free water meter installed - but it does depend on the size of your home and the number of people living there.
Martin Lewis has previously explained that it is worth exploring if you have more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people.
If you have a water meter, you may be eligible for help through the Watersure scheme.
This also caps water bills if you are on benefits or need to use a lot of water due to having several children or medical reasons.
Another way to cut down your water bill is to minimise your usage through water-saving gadgets.
Households across much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can bag a range of free insulation and devices through Save Water Save Money.
You can find out who your local water supplier is by entering your postcode on the WaterUK website.
