Water and wastewater bills to rise by around 9% in 2026
Households with a water meter will pay on average £1.79 per day in water and wastewater charges in 2026 - up from £1.65 this year - while those without a meter will pay on average £2.62 a day, up from £2.42.
The increases will be split between quarterly standing charges, which makes up around a third of the average customer bill, and the variable charge based on either water consumption or property size.
The quarterly standing charge for water in 2026 will be £20.33, an increase of 4.5%, and for wastewater the charge will be £34.89, up by 4.1%.
The variable usage charges for water will rise by 8.8% for metered customers, to £1.49 per 1,000 litres, and by 7.7% for unmetered customers.
The variable usage charges for wastewater will rise by 11.3% for metered customers, to £2.96 per 900 litres, and by 10% for unmetered customers.
Guernsey Water managing director Steve Langlois said that most of the increase had been applied to usage charges to give customers with a water meter more control over the increase in their bill.
“73% of our customers have a water meter and there is no charge to have one fitted if you want to switch to a metered rate. Customers typically save between 12 and 15% on their water bills by having a meter fitted, but this does depend on the size of your property and how much water you use.
“Standing charges are fixed. Customers have limited control over this charge, so we are putting it up by less. The standing charge covers the cost of providing customers with the ability to use water. Even if they use no water at all, Guernsey Water must cover the cost of providing all the pipes, pumps and other infrastructure that makes the water available to them if they want it. The standing charge is not enough to cover this cost, but it makes an important contribution to it.”
The cost of cesspit emptying will increase by 4%, to £10.89 per collection; collections at this rate remain two-thirds subsidised by all wastewater customers.
“More efficient scheduling and reduced maintenance after investment in new tankers means that cesspit emptying charges are increasing by less than other charges.”
The new charges will mean the combined water and wastewater annual bill for metered customers next year is expected to average around £652. When compared to estimated bills for the same amount of water used by metered customers in England, this ranks Guernsey Water just above the middle of water and wastewater companies.
“As a small island utility we compare well with benchmarks that benefit from much greater economies of scale, and we expect to compare more favourably when water companies in England make their annual adjustment to charges again in April 2026.”
On April 1st 2025 charge increases were expected to raise average water bills in England by 26% in the year to April 1st 2026, which equates to an increase of around £10 a month.
Currently, around a third of local households do not have a metered supply. They are instead charged for water and wastewater services based on their property’s TRP. Their combined annual bills are typically higher at around £957 on average, which reflects the fact they consume, on average, around 25% more water than customers with a meter.
As part of its investment programme, Guernsey Water plans to spend around £1.8 million over the next 12 years to roll out universal metering for all domestic customers. This is expected to reduce demand and leave the island less exposed to water shortages during drought.
Mr Langlois said the bill increases reflect the scale of investment required to maintain the quality service that customers benefit from today.
“We are also making a significant investment in the future of the island, which will require a sufficient and resilient water supply to prosper. Future generations of customers will also benefit, so some of the funding will come from borrowing to spread the cost over time.”
Any customers that are concerned about how the change in charges will affect them are encouraged to contact the customer services team at Guernsey Water on 229500.