Water rates to increase by 3p a day from January

Tuesday 23 November 2021

Water charges will go up by around 3.5% from January in Jersey, in a response to rising costs.

The price rise means average household water bills will increase by approximately 3p a day.

Jersey Water, which is 74% owned by taxpayers, said that the increase, which is above the current Jersey RPI of 2.9%, is the first to exceed the cost of living in over ten years, with the price of water, in real terms, falling by about 2.7% over that period.

Chief Executive Helier Smith said: “We work hard to keep price increases down while ensuring that Jersey Water continues to be able to maintain the high standards of service and water quality that our customers expect, both now and in the future. 

“That policy has been hugely successful over the past two decades to the benefit of our island customers and the community.

Queen's Valley Reservoir officially opened this week 30 years ago. It was built during a period of severe drought. Today, climate change & an increasing population is putting new pressures on maintaining reliable water supplies in drought conditions. https://t.co/9jNorZLeYm pic.twitter.com/88tELUnkCw

— Jersey Water (@JerseyWater) November 22, 2021

Pictured: Jersey Water is currently marking the 30th anniversary of the opening of Queen's Valley.

“The rising costs of energy, raw materials, labour, and transport have been well publicised in the media recently as industries react to the effects of Brexit, the pandemic and other macro-economic factors. 

“The nature of Jersey Water’s activities means that price inflation in these areas has a direct impact on the company’s costs.

“We are mindful that water bill increases are never welcome, and we do what we reasonably can to offset rising costs. However, it is necessary for us to increase our prices by a modest amount and occasionally exceed RPI to maintain our ongoing and essential investment in the island’s water supply.

“During 2022 and beyond, the company will be focused on achieving further reductions in leakage, encouraging greater water efficiency, and developing additional water resources to safeguard water supplies in the future. 

“These and further investments to maintain high water quality all build on the resilience and sustainability of Jersey’s water supply on which we all rely.”