Publicly-owned Scottish Water has announced that household water and waste water bills will rise by an average of £42 per year from April 1, 2026 – an increase of around £3.50 a month.

Scottish Water said the change will take the average annual charge in Scotland to £532, which it says remains among the lowest of any water company in the UK.

The increase represents an 8.67% rise, in line with limits set by the independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

The funding will enable Scottish Water to maintain essential services for more than five million people and support investment to upgrade infrastructure.

Scottish Water said the rise is needed to maintain services and invest in essential infrastructure such as water pipes and treatment works.

“Scotland’s water and waste water system is facing increasing pressure including more extreme weather and growing demand,” said Scottish Water.

“Recent challenges include Scotland’s driest start to the year in six decades and an increase in repairs as older infrastructure comes to the end of its operational life.”

Scottish Water CEO Alex Plant said: “We understand any rise is unwelcome, but as a publicly owned organisation every
penny our customers pay goes into improving services for people in Scotland – from tackling ageing pipes, to responding to ever more extreme weather, to enabling new homes to be built.

“We know that sustainable investment now protects customers from higher costs in the future.”