The episode, which aired on ITV from 6am, saw Charlotte hosting proceedings alongside Richard Madeley, from 6am

Charlotte Hawkins halts ITV Good Morning Britain for ‘urgent breaking news’ until 9am.

Charlotte Hawkins has halted Good Morning Britain to deliver “urgent breaking news” on Thursday. The episode, which aired on ITV from 6am, saw Charlotte hosting proceedings alongside Richard Madeley, from 6am until 9am.

During the show, Charlotte halted proceedings to discuss the water bills rise. She handed over to correspondent Richard Gaisford who said: “Well, we’re just hearing from the regulator Ofwat that, on average, across England and Wales, water bills will go up over the next five years by 36 per cent.

“That’s the average figure here in the Southern water region; we’re expecting a 53 per cent rise in those water bills to pay for so much of the mess that we’ve been talking about this morning. That means that in this part of the world, people’s bills will go up by some £222 over that five-year period, so a significant rise for so many people as we’ve been talking about this morning at a time when so many people can least afford it.”

Charlotte said, when the camera cut back to her in the studio: “That’s a significant amount of money, isn’t it for people? In a typical household.” Richard agreed: “It’s a lot more than what anyone was expecting, we were expecting 21% and £20 a year, but 36% and £31.

“That’s the average!” Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said: “These bill rises may be less than what water companies wanted but they are still more than what many people can afford. Customers will be hit particularly hard from April with a large chunk of these increases frontloaded into next year – on top of inflation.

“We know at least two in give households will find these increases difficult to afford but the support being offered by some water companies lacks ambition. People want to see more investment, but this must be coupled with a strong safety net for customers who will struggle to pay. The case for a single social tariff to end the current postcode lottery of support has never been more compelling.”

Tom MacInnes, Director of Policy at Citizens Advice, commented: “These price rises will hit many households hard. While it’s encouraging to see help for customers increasing, the current dysfunctional approach to bill support in this industry means that people will continue to miss out.

“Ending the postcode lottery for water social tariffs – cheaper rates for those who need them – is an essential step to shield those struggling to keep pace with rising bills. We found that more than two fifths (42%) of those likely to be eligible aren’t aware that water social tariffs exist. The government and suppliers must work together to ensure that no one is missing out on the support they’re entitled to.”