The Government has been urged to introduce a single social tariff for water to end the ‘unfair postcode lottery’ of support in England and Wales.
The call was made in a letter to water and flooding minister Emma Hardy from 15 charities including Independent Age.
They said a single social tariff would mean ‘more people are able to access the water they need without having to make extreme sacrifices’.
Currently, all water companies provide a social tariff for customers on low incomes, but eligibility criteria and generosity vary between companies and there is no option to change supplier.
Research by Independent Age found two-fifths (40%) of people aged over 65 living on a low household income – under £15,000 a year – in England were having to cut back on their water usage. In Wales, the figure was a third.
It was also recently confirmed that water bills would rise by an average of 21% in the five years from next April.
Independent Age chief executive Joanna Elson said: ‘An address shouldn’t impact how much support someone in financial hardship receives towards their water bill.
‘We know water bills will be rising over the coming years, and older people in financial insecurity will be waiting anxiously in fear of another increase that they may not be able to afford.’
A Government spokesperson said: ‘We expect water companies to have robust support in place for customers that are struggling to pay their bills, including bill discount schemes and financial support plans.’
