MILLIONS face higher water bills amid torrent of price hikes in April.
In what is effectively a postcode lottery, some will pay up to ยฃ36 a year more.
In other parts of the country, bills may fall.
You can't change your water supplier, but Simon Read and Lucy Alderson know how to limit the pain.
get a meter
IF you have more rooms in your house than people who live there, you could save up to ยฃ500 a year by installing a water meter.
The average savings is ยฃ200, and companies will generally give you two years to switch back, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CWC).
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See if you can save with a meter by entering your information online at ccwater.org.uk/water meter calculator.
Once on a meter, be careful about your usage or your bills could go up.
wash wisely
USE less water And you'll not only reduce your metered water bill, but also your energy costs.
About a fifth of a typical heating bill for a gas-heated home comes from water used for showers, baths and the hot water tap, says Water UK.
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Turn off the tap while you wash, as leaving it on will add ยฃ25 to your annual bill. Consumer group Which? Consider that the most efficient dishwashers use almost ten times less water than washing by hand.
load clothes
USING your washing machine for full charge cycles only reduces the gallons of water you use.
One less wash cycle per week saves ยฃ7 a year on water and energy costs, while washing at 20C instead of 40C will save a further ยฃ24 if you do four loads a week, says Which?.
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Nigel Wheeler, head of water filter firm Aquaphor, says: โSave water and electricity by skipping the hot water wash cycle. Cold water cleans clothes just as well.โ
Cut shower time
CHANGING a daily bath for a shower could save you ยฃ70 a year on water and energy bills, according to Energyhelpline.
Reduce shower time for more savings.
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CCW's Andy White says: "A family of four could save up to ยฃ700 a year on water and energy by cutting shower time to five minutes."
Aquaphor's Mr. Wheeler adds: โWhen brushing your teeth or shaving, don't let the faucet run. Use a basin or glass of water instead.โ
be careful with the hose
โINSTEAD of using a pressurized hose to wash your car, use a bucket of water and a sponge,โ says Mr. Wheeler.
โA barrel in your garden can be of great help as it can collect rainwater from gutters, which can be used to water flowers or lawns. Also periodically check hoses, connectors and faucets for leaks.
"If you have a dog, wash it outside so the lawn can get watered at the same time."
seek help
CONTACT your water supplier and check what support is available.
The WaterSure scheme helps people on benefits with school-age children, as well as those who use a lot of water for medical reasons.
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Some water providers offer social tariffs, which limit the cost of water, while others have special schemes.
Severn Trent, for example, offers bill reductions of up to 90 per cent to households with incomes below ยฃ16,480.
grab gifts
MANY water companies will give you free water-saving devices that could help reduce your bills.
These might include a shower timer, a low-flow showerhead, or a kind of balloon that sits in the toilet tank to displace the water and reduce the amount you use when you flush. You can save one to two liters per flush.
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Contact your own region provider for more information or visit savewatersavemoney.co.uk.
A smart decision, Karen
KAREN Hudson cut her water bills in half simply by installing a smart meter.
Karen, a 56-year-old mother of five, now lives with her husband Adam after the children grew up and left home.
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Karen is unable to work because she has multiple sclerosis, while Adam works in manufacturing.
They were paying ยฃ43 a month for water in their four-bedroom home in South Gloucestershire, but this dropped to ยฃ24.50 after Bristol Water installed the meter for them in February 2019.
That adds up to ยฃ294 a year instead of ยฃ516.
Karen says, โI was surprised at how much I saved.
โWith rising energy costs, the savings we're making on water bills is very helpful. Now I'm not panicking every time we turn on the faucets.
"We don't have a huge amount of money, so we have to be pretty frugal - any savings are a plus."
Council Tax Refund Warning
TWO million low-income households face 'waiting weeks' for the substantial ยฃ150 council tax rebate.
Extra help for struggling homeowners like energy bills rocket was announced by the Government last month.
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It is expected to start hitting the bank accounts of eligible taxpayers this month.
Around four in five households in England will start receiving the discount within days, and most people are eligible if they live in a house in municipal taxes brackets A to D.
However, households that don't pay council tax, because they get discounts on their bills under existing schemes, face additional weeks of waiting to get the one-off payment, local government experts say.
Taxpayers have been urged to set up direct debits to pay their council taxes to ensure they get paid faster.
But those whose discount means they don't pay council tax at all can't do this.
The municipalities will contact the neighbors who do not have a domicile.
The authorities want residents to provide them with bank details in order to make payments, but this process will cause a delay in payments.
For example, around 40,000 households in Wiltshire will receive letters this month inviting them to submit their bank details to receive payment.
And in Newham and Coventry, residents will need to complete an application form to claim the money.
Councilor Shaun Davies, from the Local Government Association, said: โHaving a direct debit setup will mean councils can automatically pay the ยฃ150 energy rebate directly into your bank account.
โYou can still get the money if you don't have a direct debit set up. But it could take longer as your council will have to contact you and then you will have to file a claim.โ
It's worth keeping an eye out for a letter from your local council if you're eligible for the ยฃ150 and don't pay council tax because of the discounts.
How you apply will depend on where you live, as each council will have a different process.
municipal taxes support is available through local councils for those with low incomes and claiming benefits, including the pension credit.
The discount people get depends on their circumstances, and in some cases it can reduce the bill by 100 percent.
In Bristol, for example, more than 25,000 residents do not pay council tax due to its reduction, while 10,000 people in Manchester, Wiltshire, Ealing and Coventry also get the full discount.
