WATER bills in Ringwood are set to rise by up to five per cent from April.

Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water (BWHW), which supplies water to about half a million homes across Hampshire and Dorset, has announced increases of between three and five per cent.

Tony Cooke, Managing Director, said: "Our ongoing investment in areas which our customers say matter to them means that, regrettably, charges will rise.

"However, as a result of the increase our average charge for 2008/09 will amount to approximately 38p per day. We believe that this represents good value for money and our intention is that our charges will continue to remain that way."

"Customer and service performance, water quality and efficiency are all among the best in our sector.

"We are one of only five companies in England and Wales in Ofwat's highest efficiency category and are ranked second for overall performance.

"All this benefits our customers, with the annual average bill currently 12% or £19, below the industry average."

BWHW has received approval for the increases from Ofwat, the water regulator which governs the price companies can charge.

The rise compares with an average increase of 5.8 per cent in water bills across England and Wales.

The actual rise for individual households will depend, in the case of metered customers, on the amount of water used or, in the case of customers who do not have a meter, on the rateable value of the property.

The new charges take effect from April 1 and full details can be found on the company's website at www.bwhwater.co.uk.