OVER the last five years, the bills for council tax and water services for my home have both increased by more than one third, while the prices of gas and electricity have fallen.

It seems that there is to be a reduction in water charges and further cuts in gas and electricity prices. But if past trends continue, any savings from these sources will be more than wiped out by the growth in council tax.

Even now, council tax costs my household as much as the total of charges for the other three services.

If three of the essential services can reverse the trend of increasing charges, why cannot the fourth do likewise?

I do not know the answer to this question and would like to hear it from those who are better informed in the matter than I am.

KEITH CHEETHAM, Grasmere Avenue, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.