A PRICE hike that will see utility bills for residents in Powys rise by £71 a year have been labelled “disgraceful” and should be scrapped.

As the cost-of-living crisis rages on millions of UK residents will now be hit with huge hikes to their water bills.

Hafren Dyfrdwy has the highest increase for customers, with bills soaring by 19 per cent. The company covers much of northern Powys and east Radnorshire.

Customers in the Welshpool, Newtown, Llanidloes, Llanfyllin and Knighton areas will see their bills shoot from £362 in 2023/2024 to £433 in 2024/2025.

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The rises will come in from April 1 – amid concern over shareholder dividends handed out by water companies and outrage over sewage flowing into our rivers and seas.

The Liberal Democrats in Powys have called for the “disgraceful” hike to be scrapped and say there should be no price rises until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and executive bonuses.

“People in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr should not have to endure this disgraceful price hike,” said Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr Glyn Preston, who is also a Powys county councillor for Llanidloes.

“During a cost-of-living crisis, it is a slap in the face to all those in our community who now have to pay more to water companies who have for years been pumping filthy sewage into our rivers.

“This insulting price hike should be scrapped immediately. There should be no price rises until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and exec bonuses.

“What is even more scandalous is that Conservative ministers have just stood aside and let water companies walk all over their customers.

“Hafren Dyfrdwy should be digging into their own pockets for once and not force these additional costs onto people during a cost of living crisis.

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“There should be an immediate end to sky-high bonuses and payments going to overseas investors. Money that should instead be going straight on fixing our crumbling infrastructure.”

The next highest increase after Hafren Dyfrdwy is from Wessex Water, whose customers will see an increase of 12.1 per cent, with bills rising from £489 to £548 over the same period.

Meanwhile, residents in the middle and south of Powys will see an almost 4 per cent decrease in their water bills.

Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water is at the other end of the scale. Customers in Radnorshire and Breconshire will see their bills actually drop by 3.9 per cent – from £512 to £492.

South West customers are the only others who will see a decrease in their bills, from £488 to £486 (-0.4 per cent).