Yorkshire Water customers have reacted with anger after the company confirmed its bills will rise again from April.
The company said the 5.6 per cent increase - about £2.80 per month - would enable it to progress infrastructure projects across the region, totalling £1.1bn until April 2027, including leak repairs, mains replacements and smart meter upgrades.
Major projects to reduce the amount of phosphorous entering watercourse will include work at Naburn wastewater treatment works which will start in the spring.
But many householders have responded with frustration, saying they already pay more for a service they feel is declining.
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Numerous Press readers questioned why customers should shoulder further increases when, they claim, the company should use its own profits to fund improvements.
John Beckett said: “That should come out of the vast profits the company makes.”
Several say last year’s rise was steep enough and had already stretched budgets, with little visible benefit.
Alison Marianne Roworth said: “They already did this last year! The bills went up loads!”
Stacy Meadows said: “Already a 33% increase last year in my bill.”
Lesley Wedel added: “What again? I live on my own and have a meter; it went up in September from £18 a month to £30 a month.”
While Sonia Bell said: “What a joke - ours has just gone up by £25 a month.”
Some readers placed blame on corporate culture and shareholder payments.
As reported, Yorkshire Water’s chief executive Nichola Shaw had received an extra £1.3 million from the firm’s offshore parent company Kelda Holdings since 2023.
Yorkshire Water has since said it has “now committed to disclosing the value of any Kelda-related payments for our CEO and CFO as part of Yorkshire Water’s accounts in future”.
Tony Feetenby said: “Our bills should not go up by one penny while their top brass are given massive share options and huge bonuses when they cannot be justified.”
Kevin Flintoft added: “They increased bills last year by a lot. Then in the summer we couldn’t use hose pipes.. leaks everywhere, years of not maintaining the systems, too busy paying out big bonuses to directors.”
There was also frustration at the wider regulatory landscape.
JJT said: “The water regulator needs to get the companies to share the financial pain with senior leadership and share holders. We the customers should not be left holding the bag after decades of good returns, bonuses and under investment.”
Others pointed to poor service, including leaks and restrictions.
Steve Porter said: “They said that last year and all we got for our money was a hosepipe ban from spring till winter!”
Kev A Richards added: “They hiked it up last year and we were rationed for 4 months! If you don’t get a good service you shouldn’t pay!”
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Leak repairs remain a sore point.
Laura Feetenby said: “Are you kidding!! I reported a leak Dec 18th outside my house, 2 days later they repaired it, lasted 24 hours, it’s still there, getting fixed next week Feb 4th. Maybe if they did the job properly in the first place they wouldn’t have to pay out so much getting it repaired twice not to mention how much water has been wasted.”
Others questioned whether last year’s rise was supposed to fund the very upgrades now cited for further increases.
Bob Fisher said: “Wasn't last year's increase meant to cover this into the future?”
Some took a cynical view of calls to renationalise the industry.
Martyn Howie said: “All those calling for renationalisation be aware that once the system has been brought up to standard using public money, some politician will no doubt hive it off back to the private sector at a knock down price... and 5 years after they will be appointed to the board... it is a cash-filled washing machine on a rinse and repeat cycle.”
Another commentator, Neil Chittock joked: “I won't bother them about my broken meter sound like they have a lot on there plate.”
And some readers say they’ve done all they can to reduce usage, yet still face soaring bills.
Drago added: “We have 1000lts of rain water storage for the garden, had the large 'p' shaped bath removed and now have a walk-in shower. I don't know what else we can do to lower the bill and use less water.”
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