This paper analyses the problem of water affordability in Great Britain. The use and meaning of the term ‘affordability’ are discussed in relation to the domestic or household customers of the British water industry. Using microeconomic data from the Family Resources Survey, affordability is calibrated by income group and household composition for Scotland, England and Wales. Whilst measurement or calibration is the primary focus of the paper, the related question of the way in which an affordability threshold or benchmark might be established is considered. A critique of the various financial support mechanisms currently available to households encountering difficulties in paying water and sewerage charges is followed by a discussion of the policy implications of the research and the way in which it relates to the wider social inclusion agenda of central government.

Using data from the Family Expenditure Survey, this paper analyses participation in, and expenditure on, the UK National Lottery by individuals for the period 1995/1996 to 1999/2000. Probit and truncated Tobit models are employed in a two part estimation. The results highlight the importance of gender, age, education, marital status and occupation in individual participation and expenditure decisions.

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This paper analyses the Issue of water and sewerage service charge affordability in Great Britain, focusing exclusively on the domestic or household sector. It discusses the meaning of affordability, outlining ways in which it might be measured, before presenting empirical data to calibrate the phenomenon. A discussion of affordability benchmarking for household water and sewerage services is followed by a brief critique of the various financial support mechanisms currently available to low Income households.

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