Anglian Water said today that its customers’ annual bills will drop by an average of £29 as it announced a 7% cut in prices for the coming year.

The overall average bill for AW customers will fall to £402 per year, while those with a water meter will pay even less, with their average bill dropping to £371.

AW says this represents the biggest percentage saving in the whole of the UK, outstripping all of the nation’s other combined water and serwerage companies.

From April, there will also be a new tariff available to help those facing financial hardship and who struggle to pay their bills, with the Anglian Water Assistance Fund being boosted to £1million a year.

The price cut is part of AW’s new five-year settlement with industry regulator Ofwat under which the company is expected to reduce the average bill by 10% by 2020 while also delivering a £5billion pound programme of investment to maintain and improve services.

Martyn Oakley, AW’s director of customer service, said: “We know household budgets remain under pressure, so we believe this price cut is timely and coming at a time when customers tell us they need it most.

“As well as cutting bills we’re also continuing to help customers control how much they spend on bills. For instance, we’ve pledged by 2020 to fit 95% of homes with a water meter, and this doesn’t mean making metered bills compulsory because we believe the savings to be achieved speak for themselves.

“The average bill for metered customers next year will fall to £371. This compares to the average unmetered bill of £516.

“Almost 80% of homes in our region now have a meter, but there are almost 150,000 customers who have meters but are not using them. We urge them to switch and save.

“It’s free to switch, and join the majority of our customers who on average have saved £100 a year. You can even switch back, for free, within two years if you aren’t satisfied.”

Mr Oakley added: “We’re also continuing to help our customers save water by offering free water saving devices for everyone. Customers in a number of areas can also ask for a free home visit from a registered plumber who will fit the devices and offer other water saving tips.”

Expenditure included in AW’s investment programme for the next five years includes £60million to keep AW’s leakage the lowest in the UK (including £19m in year one), £60m to protect the natural environment and improve the raw water quality of the rivers and watercourses used to provide drinking water, £10m to improve and protect the region’s coastline and coastal waters, and £3.5m for flood projects involving complex multi-owned and interconnected drainage networks.