Around a third of people in England and Wales who are cutting back on their water usage because of cost say it is negatively affecting their health (33%) and personal hygiene (31%).
When asked how they were cutting back, one in four (25%) of this group said they are spending less time in the shower, 22% are reducing toilet flushes, and 18% are reducing their use of the washing machine.
Overall, around one in five people (22%) in England and Wales are cutting down on water usage due to cost, according to shocking new YouGov polling from charity Independent Age. This equates to an estimated 13.6 million people in homes where water rationing is happening because of high bills.
The polling also lays bare the impact high water bills are having on older people on low incomes in particular, as the figure jumps to 40% of this group saying they have cut back on their water usage. The charity hears daily from older people who are making dangerous cutbacks to keep bills as low as possible because their limited income means there is not enough money to cover the everyday essentials.
Independent Age is launching a petition calling on the UK Government to introduce a national water social tariff in England and Wales that provides standardised and consistent financial support for people of all ages living on low incomes.
The petition follows a disappointing white paper in January 2026 where the UK Government did not take on board the recommendation from the Independent Water Commission to introduce a national social tariff for water. The charity points out that the current system of water companies providing their own social tariffs has led to an unfair postcode lottery. Petition link can be found here – National water social tariff petition
In 2024 Independent Age’s research revealed that without intervention, the number of older people living in water poverty could rise from 750,000 to almost a million by 2029/30 [4].The report also analysed different national social tariff models, and found they had the potential to lift between 292,000 and 578,000 older people out of water poverty.
Margaret, 80, Northumberland said:
“To keep our water bills down, we only take quick showers – never baths – and we try not to let the water run for more than three minutes. Things never used to be so difficult, but our savings and private pensions have run out. Now we rely solely on our State Pension, and we’re living on the breadline.”
Judith Howard, 78, London said:
“I never imagined I would have to ration my water in later life, but every day I find myself weighing up what I can afford to use.
“I’ve stopped having baths and just use my basin to wash myself, I don’t have a shower and can’t afford to have one put in. My washing machine is too expensive to run, I now have to do all my laundry at the launderette which is a bus ride away. I have even reduced the number of times I flush the toilet. I hate living this way, but I have no choice. A national water social tariff would be life-changing because my bills are already so high.”
Independent Age Chief Executive Joanna Elson, CBE said:
“This new research highlights the terrible impact high water bills are having on millions of people across the country. The older people on low incomes we support are taking drastic action to reduce their water use. They are washing in sinks, making long journeys to the laundrette, and avoiding flushing the toilet. This is unacceptable, now is the time for action.
“It is clear that despite good intentions in some areas, separate water company initiatives alone are not working. The introduction of a national social tariff for water would end the unfair postcode lottery that currently blights the system. Where you live shouldn’t determine how much financial support you receive, yet the current patchwork of social tariffs means eligibility criteria and levels of support vary depending on where you live.
“Water bills continue to rise, and our research shows that without intervention, water poverty will surge dramatically. If the UK Government is committed to tackling affordability pressures to ensure accessible, fair and consistent support for people in financial hardship across the country, a national social tariff is the solution. Water is not a luxury, it’s a necessity – no one should be forced to ration it.”