WESSEX Water is the second most expensive water supplier in England and Wales, a report has found.

In 2017/18 the average combined sewerage and water bill for Wessex Water customers was £470, which is £5 more than three years ago

While a Wessex Water spokesman confirmed a combined bill would be second highest, they also pointed out that a large proportion of customers in Bournemouth pay Bournemouth Water for their water supply, and Wessex Water just for their sewerage.

The Wessex Water spokesman explained: "Our sewerage charges are in line with the industry average but our charges for water are more.

"This is due to the largely rural area we serve – we have more pipes per customer to maintain than other water companies and the cost of moving water across our region is expensive.

"The great majority of our customers spend less than £1 a day on water for their entire household, while around two thirds of our supply customers are now on water meter, meaning they only pay for what they use."

Wessex Water also say their charges for water and sewerage are set every five years in consultation with the industry regulator Ofwat.

The showerstoyou.co.uk study was compiled using data from Water UK.