Martin Lewis explains how you can save £1k a year on 'forgotten' bill

Martin Lewis and his Money Saving Expert (MSE) team has revealed how you can potentially save more than £1,000 a year on a 'forgotten' bill that we all have to pay.

Lewis, who founded the MSE service back in 2003 to offer consumer finance advice to the general British public, regularly sends out fresh knowledge to those that follow his tips and tricks.

And with millions signed up to the weekly MSE newsletter - a staggering nine million people to be precise - the advice is hugely sought after as Brits continue to deal with an ongoing cost of living crisis.

Recent advice from Lewis and his team has included how to pocket £175 for free and it's actually pretty easy if you follow the advice. There was also a Tesco Clubcard warning but you've missed the boat on that one if you weren't aware, sadly.

And as we head into the summer months and millions of us travel overseas for a holiday, Lewis issued a bank card warning when it comes to using your debit card outside of the UK.

Now, Lewis' MSE team is back with advice to save what it says could be more than a grand a year. Calling it the 'forgotten utility', the team explains five ways you can save more than £1,000 a year on your water bill.

They say: "Water bills rose by six percent on average in April across England & Wales, and failing Thames Water, having paid billions in dividends, is trying to get permission to hike bills by 59 percent over the next five years.

"Costs are rising, so we want to show you what you can do to cut them. Our cut water costs guide is overflowing with tips, but here are the key ones. Water you waiting for?"

Martin Lewis is back at it again (ITV)

Get a water meter - they're free

You could save hundreds by getting your hands on a water meter.

"Water bills are based on the old pre-1990 rates system, where the amount you pay's roughly based on your home's rental value, not your usage," the MSE team says.

"So bigger homes tend to pay more, even if they're not consuming much water.

"Yet you can get a free water meter in England and Wales, which measures how much you use and bills you accordingly."

For some, especially in large homes with not many people living there, the savings can be 'massive', MSE says.

You could save a lot of money (Getty Stock Images)

No meter? No problem

MSE says that 'in some ways you're in even more luck' if you can't get a water meter fitted.

According to the advice, those in this situation should ask for an 'assessed charge bill'. This will work out how much you'd likely pay if you got a meter.

"Then it's simple - if that's cheaper than your normal water bill, switch to it, if it isn't, don't," MSE says.

"Vinny emailed us about this a couple of weeks ago: 'I recently followed your advice and applied to get a meter fitted. My original bill was £966 a year. However, my supplier was unable to fit a meter. Instead they sent me an assessed bill and my charges were reduced to £422 [a £544 a year saving]! Thank you MSE!'."

Universal Credit and benefits

You could be entitled to a social tariff and WaterSure if you're on benefits such as Universal Credit. This can also apply if you're part of a low income household.

Social tariffs reduce your bills by up to 90 percent, with a staggering 5.7 million UK households missing out on claiming this and an average saving of £160 a year.

Could you be missing out? (Getty Stock Images)

Freebies

You can order freebies from your water supplier that should cut down your water usage without changing many habits.

This can include new shower heads worth £20 and tap inserts (they usually cost a fiver) that regulate water flow so you're wasting less.

Some suppliers even supply water butts (£20+ usually) to collect rainwater to water your plants.

Head on over to your water supplier website and check it out.

Cash back on sewage charges

"It's generally assumed that used water creates a similar amount in sewage," MSE says.

"Yet if you've a way of draining or storing water - such as a soakaway, cesspit, pool or big garden - that means some of the water you're using isn't going into a public sewer, you may be able to claim a rebate worth an average ~£35/yr."