United Utilities has unveiled a £280 million package of support measures that will help more than 200,000 households across the North West with their water bills until 2025.

The company’s shareholders are providing £142 million of support in addition to the £139 million of financial aid provided via a social tariff.

The news comes as the water company said it would keep the average household water bill flat for this year.

Louise Beardmore, customer service director, said: “We continue to play our part in helping anyone who is struggling to pay their water bill, providing our customers with a range of support from reduced tariffs, payment matching schemes as well as funding an independent charitable trust.

“Despite the high levels of inflation, we are keeping the average water bill flat this year so we can play our part and help every household across our region.

“Helping customers quickly is important and we have dedicated teams on hand to help anyone who may be struggling. Our investment in Open Banking technology means that we can make it easier for customers to access support in minutes rather than weeks.”