Households across Scotland are paying far less for their water than families south of the border, as new figures show bills in England and Wales are set to soar by almost a third.
The latest review of the privatised water industry in England warns of average increases of 30 per cent over the next five years, pushing bills to record levels and leaving millions facing even greater pressure on already stretched household budgets.
By contrast, water remains firmly in public hands in Scotland, with average bills this year standing at £490, almost 20 per cent less than the £603 average paid in England and Wales.
Scottish Water’s stability has long been credited to decisions taken in the 1980s and 90s, when successive UK governments privatised water south of the border but Scotland resisted, with campaigners and local authorities fighting to keep it in public ownership.
Maree Todd, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, said the difference speaks for itself.
“Thanks to the SNP Scottish Government, Scots pay significantly lower water bills than those south of the border,” she said.
“If the Labour UK Government want to sort out the mess down south, then they should follow Scotland’s example and bring water back into public ownership.”
She added that while English water companies operate for profit, Scotland’s system is designed for public benefit.
“The benefit of that is measured in the pockets of hard‑working Scots who pay far less for water,” she said.
Environmental standards also compare favourably, with 87 per cent of Scotland’s water environment assessed by SEPA as having a high or good classification, far exceeding the quality recorded in England.
For Ms Todd, this is proof of what Scotland can achieve when decisions are taken here rather than in Westminster.
“The comparative success of Scottish Water just goes to show that when we have power here in Scotland, we make better decisions,” she said.
“And we could go so much further with the full powers of independence.”
