This pub serves up pints of tap water to expose rising bills

Charity Independent Age opened a Westminster pop-up pub serving only tap water to highlight the rising cost of water bills and the uneven support available to people struggling to pay them.

The Westminster Tap featured a row of taps representing regions across England and Wales. Instead of beer prices, each one displayed the average annual water bill for that area, alongside the level of help offered through its local water company’s social tariff.

TV chef Rustie Lee was behind the bar pulling “water pints” at the stunt, which was designed to show how support for people on low incomes can depend heavily on where they live. Southern Water customers face the highest average annual bill at £759, while Northumbrian Water has the lowest at £535.

Independent Age is calling for a national social tariff that would provide consistent financial support for people of all ages on low incomes.

Its recent YouGov polling found that 22% of people in England and Wales are cutting down on water usage due to cost, with a third of this group saying it is affecting their health.

Joanna Elson, CBE, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “Water is not a luxury, it’s a necessity – no one should be forced to ration it.”

Lee said she was shocked to hear how many people are cutting back on water because of rising bills.