By Dame Yve Buckland Chair, The Consumer Council for Water

Water consumer group head Dame Yve Buckland

To have a bath every day was once considered a luxury, today we tend to take the water we use to fill it for granted.

But with water bills increasing by nearly as much as �40 in some parts of the country this month, the Consumer Council for Water believes we must change our habits and thinking.

Prices are rising because of investment in pipes and treatment plants, so water companies can continue to provide safe, reliable water and improve the environment.

The national average bill will be �294 for 2006/07, as opposed to �279 in 2005/06.

South West Water customers face the highest bill of �449 while Northumbrian Water is among the lowest at �268.

Further rises are due to take place over the next three years up to 2010.

Although water costs the average household only 80p a day, some consumers will struggle to pay their bills - affected as they are by other rises for energy, council tax and other services.

However, there are a number of options that you can use to sugar the pill.

Saving Money

If you find it hard to pay your water bill, contact your water company and they may be able to help you spread your payments or make arrangements to suit your requirements.

Apply for the vulnerable customer tariff - this tariff scheme assists metered customers receiving certain benefits who either have a large family or a medical condition requiring extra water usage.

And if you don't already have one, consider having a water meter installed free of charge.

Currently 28% of households are metered and you could save a lot of money by having one.

The Consumer Council for Water believes metering is the fairest way of paying for water.

We believe in moves towards increased metering in areas where water resources are stretched, as long as the benefits justify the costs of implementation in the long term.

You can check with your water company and ask them how much you would be charged if you had a meter installed.

Single people or couples in a more expensive house generally benefit from having a meter because they are paying for the amount they use rather than based on what their property is worth.

Larger families tend to pay more because they use more water.

Government help

The Consumer Council for Water is lobbying the Government to provide more help for large households on low incomes, preferably through familiar routes such as the tax benefits and credits system.

Companies can also meter compulsorily if you have a sprinkler, a power shower or a swimming pool

We are doing this along with other groups such as Age Concern, the NCC, Citizens' Advice, Help the Aged, Public Utilities Access Forum and Unison to make the case for effective financial support.

A recent precedent was set in Northern Ireland, where 200,000 households will benefit from a guarantee that they will spend no more than 3% of their income on water and sewerage charges.

New properties built since 1991 have water meters and some water companies automatically install a meter when there is a change of occupancy.

As we have seen recently in the case of Folkestone and Dover, a company can gain water scarcity status which means they can compulsorily meter households to help combat the water shortage.

Companies can also meter compulsorily if you have a sprinkler, a power shower or a swimming pool.

Saving water

If you are already on a meter you should consider using our five fast fixes on saving water, which will save you money as well as helping with conserving water resources.

• Fit a Save-a-Flush device (you may see it called a 'hippo' or even a 'bog hog') and you could save a litre each time you flush - a third of the water used by a typical family is flushed down the toilet

• Wasted water equals wasted money - a dripping tap losing one drop a second will waste 15 litres of water (3 buckets full) a day. Fix it, or get it fixed

• Save water when washing - take a shower rather than a bath, don't leave the tap on when brushing your teeth and use the plug in the washbasin when shaving

• Save water in the kitchen - use a bowl instead of leaving the tap on when washing up, boil only the amount of water you need in the kettle, and keep cool water in the fridge rather than running the tap to get a cold drink. And don't use dishwashers or washing machines half full

• Save water in the garden - collect rainwater from the roof in a water butt, and give your plants a soaking once a week rather than daily.

The water shortages in the south and east of England could not have happened at a worse time: consumers will be paying more this year, so they will expect to get more.

Water companies need to make sure the quality of their service to consumers matches the growing bills that consumers are expected to pay.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.