Scotland’s water consumer watchdog has called for a Scottish Government review into the principles of charging for water services, to ensure people on low incomes can afford to pay, following a report that says water poverty is increasing in Scotland.

Waterwatch Scotland’s report, Affordability of Scottish Household Water and Sewerage Charge, to be published this week, finds that the lowest 10 per cent of Scottish households by income spend more than 3 per cent of their gross weekly household income on water and sewerage charges, which constitutes water poverty. These households were paying just 1 per cent in 1997/98.

Waterwatch say that the UK benefits for water services have failed to keep pace with increases in water and sewerage charges over the last decade, with the total outstanding household water and sewerage debt in Scotland currently £282.5m.

Gary Womersley, chief officer of Waterwatch Scotland, said: “This situation will worsen if the benefits system and water and sewerage charges are not aligned.

“Water affordability in Scotland is not an isolated issue with regard to utility debt. Many low income families across Scotland are struggling to pay for additional household utilities such as gas, electricity and telephone.”

Waterwatch also recommends that the Scottish Government should undertake a review of the workings of the current permanent Water Charges Reduction Scheme, and work with the UK Government to address what it calls the failure of current social security benefit arrangements to make available adequate financial support to qualifying households.

A spokesperson from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said: “Any increase in water poverty is a worry and, in particular, CAS has some key concerns in relation to the current water and sewerage relief scheme for low-income households. We believe that the most important principle in relation to charging for domestic customers should be that charges are affordable and sustainable.”

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