Water bills for households in England and Wales are expected to increase over the coming year, with the Metro reporting on an announcement from Water UK – the body that represents water companies in England and Wales – that prices will climb by two per cent.

According to Water UK, this is part of ongoing plans to invest more in the countries’ water infrastructure, including reducing the 370 million litres of water that leaks from water pipes every year, and preventing an additional 5,000 properties from being flooded by sewage.

This all fulls under a £44 billion investment commitment over five years to 2020, to reach these goals, as well as to ensure that 50 beaches around England and Wales are cleaner.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has urged consumers to look for ways to save water to help them reduce their costs – provided they are metered.

CCWater also noted that the rise in water costs will vary between regions and households depending on a range of factors.

Tony Smith, chief executive at CCWater, told the newspaper: “Most water companies are reducing their charges before inflation is added to bills which has softened the blow, but this will still be an unwelcome increase for millions of customers.”

Reducing costs may not only apply to your water usage, but also to the longevity of your appliances. Things like dishwashers can be expensive to replace but there are a few simple things you can do to help them last longer.

Among them is installing water softeners in Henley, as these devices will help reduce the limescale buildup not only in appliances like dishwashers, but also around your taps and showerheads, making everything more efficient.