Water Meters and Cash ISAs
Summary
This Money Box episode uncovers a significant increase in water meter installations driven by rising bills, with personal stories and advice on managing water costs. It also delves into the Chancellor's decision to maintain cash ISA limits, exploring listener views and optimal ISA strategies. Finally, a major Supreme Court ruling on asset division in divorce is examined, including legal implications for inherited wealth and prenuptial agreements.Episode description
Money Box can exclusively reveal there has been a sharp rise in the number of people applying to have water meters fitted to try to bring their bills down. The data has been shared with this programme by the Consumer Council for Water, the CCW, the which speaks for water consumers in England and Wales. It comes after record April price rises for water with average bills rising more than £120 to over £600 per year.
Cash ISAs appear to have been reprieved - at least for now. Until Friday morning there was widespread speculation that the Chancellor might announce on Tuesday that the amount you could put into a cash ISA would be slashed from £20,000, perhaps to as little as £4000. The idea was that would fit in with government plans to encourage investment by nudging people with £20,000 to spare to use the rest of their tax free ISA allowance to invest in shares instead. However, Money Box understands that won't happen - certainly not on Tuesday when Rachel Reeves gives her annual Mansion House speech to the City of London. We'll look at what that might mean.
And what does a major ruling on a divorce case in the Supreme Court mean for how wealth is split between couples in the future?
Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 12th July 2025)