Managing your utility bills:
What to expect and how NEP can help save you money
The energy price cap is set to rise again, increasing by £111 from £1,738 to £1,849 between April 1 and June 30, 2025. Compounding this challenge, water bills also rose on April 1st by an average increase of £123.
As both energy and water costs escalate, many households will find themselves facing a greater financial burden during this period. Looking ahead, Ofwat has projected that Severn Trent water bills will soar by an astonishing 47% over the next five years. This indicates that the financial strain is set to continue, affecting households’ budgets both now and in the years to come.
The following graph shows the average change in water bills for the main water companies from 1st April 2025.
For many, especially those caught in the cycle of fuel poverty, these increases are a major setback. Overcoming fuel poverty isn’t something that happens overnight—price hikes created from the energy crisis have contributed significantly. If you want to better understand the energy crisis, NEA have an informative guide.
Large price increases only make it harder for people to recover from fuel debt and keep up with basic living expenses, particularly when they are predicted to rise again. This is where Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) step in, providing services and support to help you make your home more energy efficient, reducing fuel costs and putting money back into your pockets. Read on to find out more.
Check your Eligibility for Energy Saving Home Improvements
At NEP, we can help refer you to grant-funded schemes to improve your home, energy efficiency and lower your bills. Keep reading to find out about available schemes.
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Warm Homes Local Grant will supply energy upgrades and low carbon heating to homeowners who are on a low income and have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G. Upgrades will be tailored to individual homes, so will range from insulation to air source heat pumps. Call us on 0115 985 9057 to find out more.
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ECO4 is a government initiative designed to support vulnerable households, providing access to funding for energy efficiency works for the home. The funding stream is administered by OFGEM. Upgrades range from home insulation to renewables such as solar panels and low carbon heating like heat pumps to offer a ‘whole house’ approach to improve home energy efficiency. Find out more and view eligibility here.
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A new government energy efficiency scheme administered by Ofgem, mostly delivering single insulation measures. Available for low-income and vulnerable households, those with an EPC rating of D to G, and within council tax bands A to D. Find out more here.
Call us on 0115 985 9057 or fill in this form to see which services you are eligible for. Alternatively, NEP’s team of Project Support Officers can also run a grant-check and advise you on funding that is available.
Understanding Water Bill Increases and Support Options
You may find yourself questioning the upcoming price increases for water and how to effectively manage these costs, as well as the support available to help you during this time. Since the energy crisis began, we’ve become accustomed to rising gas and electricity prices, water is often seen as the overlooked utility.
At NEP, we understand the toll that rising utility bills can take on families. That’s why we’re committed to helping you get ahead of these rising costs, able to point you towards support services and offer helpful advice to reduce costs. Read on for tips and advice on lowering water bills.
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To start, it’s important to understand how you are billed for your water.
Households with a water meter, only pay for the water they use, plus a standing charge.
Unmetered households are charged a fixed amount for water, it is not based on their actual usage. This charge is typically determined by the home's “rateable value”, and includes a standing charge.
Can I switch to a water meter?
Household customers have the option to have a meter installed in their homes at no cost. Find out more here. Having a meter installed allows you to see where you can reduce water use around the home by making behavioural adjustments. Less water used = lower costs.
If you already tend to use less water or live in a smaller household, a meter could significantly reduce your costs and help avoid overpayments. The same goes both ways, if you are a household that uses lots of water you might be best to stay without a meter.
If you’re unsure, water companies offer online calculators to see if you could save money on a meter, for example Consumer Council for Water (CCW) have a calculator on its website.
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Severn Trent Big Difference Scheme – The Big Difference Scheme can offer discounts of up to 70% on your water bill. To qualify, you must meet certain criteria such as your household income falling under £23,492 (individuals with no dependants), and if you have under £3000 in savings. The criteria changes in line with the number of dependants e.g. if there are up to 2 dependants in the property, income must be below £25,492; if there are 3 or more dependants, the income must be less than £27,492. Plus, some benefits are not counted toward the income cap, so you might be eligible even if you think you’re not.
We can help advise you on eligibility and process your application for the scheme, just call us on 0115 985 3009 or fill in a form here.
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Water saving products can be fitted, such as low-flow showerheads or cistern displacement devices. A cistern displacement device is a bag filled with crystals that is placed in the cistern of your toilet. Each time the toilet is flushed, the crystals expand to reduce an average of 1.2 litres of water.
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All water companies offer support schemes to lower your bills if you’re on a low income or meet other eligibility requirements. This varies across the board, so it is worth looking at what your supplier has to offer.
CCW offer a full list of the social tariffs available here. To apply for the tariffs, find your supplier on the list and follow the instructions to apply.
For example, alongside the Big Difference Scheme, Severn Trent offer “WaterSure” a bill cap scheme for their customers on water meters who receive eligible benefits that caps your bill at an average yearly charge. Find out more here.
Energy and Water Saving Tips and Advice
Other ways to lower your bills is to make simple behaviour changes around the home. Small changes can make a big difference, here are some energy and water saving tips to consider:
Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you plan to use – fill your cup first and empty it into the kettle, it saves water and uses less energy. Energy Saving Trust predict this saves the typical household £10 a year.
Don’t half fill your dishwasher or washing machine, run a load when it’s full – reduces the amount of cycles per week, lowering energy and saving the typical household £12 a year (Energy Saving Trust)
Fix leaks and use water saving devices – use a water saving shower head, a tap aerator, or install a water butt to catch rainwater. These devices can be cheap and make savings in the long term. Reduce water use by saving it before it gets lost down the drain and gutters!
For more energy and water saving tips, head to the Energy Saving Trust website.
Severn Trent customers can apply for a free Home Water Efficiency Check, which can help to find and fix leaks quickly to help save water. An engineer will visit your property free of charge and take a look at your current water use, check for leaks on taps, toilets, and showers, and repair them if possible.
To apply for a free Home Water Efficiency Check, contact Severn Trent by calling 0330 159 50 70.
Other Support Available
There is a wide range of support covering water, gas and electricity, so it is important to consider ways to lower the cost of each utility. By accessing all the support available to you, it has a larger impact in reducing the cost of your overall bills. We offer a package of support to boost your wellbeing and make sure you’re accessing the support available to you. Over the phone or in person, we can check to see which services you could benefit from, e.g.:
Benefit checks
Sourcing hardship funding for vulnerable clients
Food and fuel vouchers
Heating assistance & free Boiler Health Checks (eligibility criteria apply)
Smart meter advice and tips - View our smart meter tips here.
For all these services, we are just a phone call away so don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0115 985 9057.
Ready to take control of price increases?
We aim to offer support for everyone, so please get in touch by filling in an online form, calling us on 0115 985 9057 or pop into our office (Queens Walk Community Centre, Queens Walk, The Meadows, Nottingham, NG2 2DF, Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5.30pm. On Friday we close at 4:30pm). We run through our package of support with all clients to check which services you could benefit from.