Hafren Dyfrdwy says ‘get in touch to discuss your bills’

Our local water company that has been at the centre of a storm over their extortionate 50% increases are urging MyWelshpool readers to get in touch to discuss their bills.

Hafren Dyfrdwy have responded to our campaign asking them to have a rethink, but they are sticking to their guns and going ahead with the crazy increases that they say are needed to pay for up to £260 million of infrastructure work over the next five years.

The water firm has defended the eye-popping increases that will see hundreds of pounds added to annual bills, and even reminded MyWelshpool of our ‘obligation as journalists not to suggest that our readers don’t pay’. This comes after we repeatedly reminded Hafren Dyfrdwy of OfWat’s guidance not to increase bills by more than 20% this year, and yet they have gone ahead and increased by nearly 50% in many cases.

In fairness, the company has replied in depth to our tricky questions (below) and we would like to thank their hard working press team for keeping our readers, their customers, in the loop.

But it doesn’t look like there will be a mass rethink and, instead, the advice is to contact them and sort it out case-by-case. We’ll certainly be doing that and we will keep you posted.

Below are the full answers to our questions and we urge you to take the time to read.

Will HD be accepting the error and rethinking this year’s bills?

• There hasn’t been an error on this year’s bills - the Hafren Dyfrdwy bills and information that have been sent out to customers are correct
• The increase and our plans for investment have been fully set out in the business plan for 2025 – 2030 and approved by Ofwat and will enable us to deliver record levels of investment over the next five years and see us carrying out vital work in areas such as protecting rivers, cutting supply interruptions and leakage, as well as reducing the number of external sewer floods, which have all been identified as key priorities
• If customers need support with their bills, they can access one of the most generous discounts for social tariff in the water industry, with up to 70% off the average bill. By 2030, we aim to double the number of customers we can help with our social tariff scheme  
• If any customer wants to talk through their bill and any support available, they can get in touch with our customer team or speak to team member in person as part of a roadshow that is ongoing throughout April – locations and dates can be found here - Community Connectors | Here to help | Help and Contact | HD Cymru
• A full breakdown of charges can be found on the website and is available for customers to see here - hd-statement-of-significant-changes-2025-26-hh.pdf
• There’s a range of support available – including discounts and flexible payment plans to suit every need:
• WaterSure is for people that need to use a lot of water – if they qualify their bill can be capped at the company average   
• Here2Help is for people that struggle to pay because of low incomes – customers that qualify can receive a discount of up to 70% on the average bill
• Hafren Dyfrdwy has the Here to Help Hub where customers can find information about help with their bills as well as signposting to other support services - www.hdcymru.co.uk/my-account/help-when-you-need-it/help-with-paying-your-bill/here-to-help-scheme 

Why has HD ignored the OfWat guidance?

• It is factually incorrect to say that HD has ignored any Ofwat guidance
• HD follows all Ofwat revenue controls and rules that have been set out
• Our plans for the next five years, levels of investment and increases to customer bills have all been laid out for Ofwat and have been fully approved
• Our five year HD plan can be found at: Our plans 2025-2030 | Plan and strategy | About us | HD Cymru

What happens if a consumer refuses to pay their bill on principal, do they have their water supply stopped?

• We’re clear that no Hafren Dyfrdwy customer should worry about paying their bill, that’s why we have plenty of support available and worked hard to keep it as low and affordable as possible
• CCW’s (The voice for water consumers) advice is that customers who are considering boycotting payment should understand they could face debt recovery action. This could negatively impact their credit rating and also potentially result in additional costs being added to their bill
• We remind you of your obligation as a journalist not to expressly or impliedly, suggest that customers may refuse to pay their bill. We strongly suggest you speak directly to CCW on this matter

Are you taking advantage of holding the monopoly and consumers being unable to get an alternative? 

• The HD bill is the lowest in Wales and one of the lowest in the UK, and we have been worked hard to keep them that way while also meeting the expectations of our customers and key targets
• Our plan for the next five years, which includes millions of pounds worth of investment, was put together after 18-months of collaboration with key stakeholders in Wales, extensive engagement with customers, and independent challenge and audit
• The main points from our consultation were that more investment was needed. To make sure we are carrying out what our customers have asked for and the need for significant investment, a bill increase was required
• The multi-million plan for 2025 to 2030, is the biggest ever investment in infrastructure and services from Hafren Dyfrdwy – making sure it provides a strong and reliable service that customers not only want, but deserve
• We know any price increase is worrying, which is why we have been fully transparent with our plans for the next five years and wrote to customers to tell them about their bill, the help available and we are here to support them if they have any questions or concerns.

James Jesic, Hafren Dyfrdwy Managing Director, said:

“We’re clear that no Hafren Dyfrdwy customer should worry about paying their bill, that’s why we have plenty of support available and worked hard to keep it as low and affordable as possible.

“The bill increase is a decision that was not taken lightly, but is correct and fully approved by Ofwat so that we can deliver record levels of investment over the next five years and see us carrying out vital work in areas such as protecting rivers, cutting supply interruptions and leakage, as well as reducing the number of external sewer floods, which have all been identified as key priorities.

“Our bill is the lowest in Wales and one of the lowest in the UK, and we have been worked hard to keep them that way while also meeting the expectations of our customers and key targets.

“We know any price increase is worrying, which is why we have been fully transparent with our plans for the next five years and wrote to customers to tell them about their bill, the help available and we are here to support them if they have any questions or concerns.”