The rise is based on Bank of England forecasts that inflation will remain at around 3.8% through until April 2026.
Surcharges for boats without a home mooring and wide beam boats, introduced from 2024, will be applied in addition to this rise.
Boaters will be able to use the online calculator on our website, available by the end of November, to calculate the licence fee for their boats.
Better Boating Plan
During 2026, we will increase the scope of the Better Boating Plan to tackle more of the tasks that matter most to boaters. This year the focus has included fixing broken paddles, more planned preventative maintenance at locks and movable bridges, and improving grass cutting. In the year ahead this will be expanded with options including an increased focus on addressing lock gate leaks, removing sunken boats, accelerating offside vegetation removal and filling gaps in facility provision.
Matthew Symonds, our head of boating and customer service, said: “We have faced almost unprecedented challenges in the last year in looking after and keeping the network navigable. At the same time, we are facing a long-term decline in our income from government. The additional income from boat licences, alongside growing income from our commercial and fundraising work, will help support the essential works we need to undertake together with the investment in the Better Boating Plan to address more of the things that are most important to boaters.”
Support for vulnerable boaters
We will continue to support boaters struggling to pay their licence fees on a case-by-case basis. This may include arranging flexible payment plans and signposting to relevant services and benefits, for example the Waterways Chaplaincy, local authorities and Citizens Advice.
Following the National Boat Count in March which showed an increase in licence evasion, we carried out a second count in September. This highlighted that there had been an error in the way the worksheet was pulling the data, with some numbers excluded. The actual evasion figure in March was 11.8%, while in September this had risen to 14.1%.
Matthew said: “The current licence evasion rate is starving the canal network of over £5million a year: money that isn’t being used to fund further maintenance. We’re continuing to target those who have chosen not to pay, whilst offering support to those living afloat who can’t afford to pay. For those in the latter category, our welfare team can help access the benefits that you may be entitled to, which often includes covering the licence fee.”
Gold Licences
The Gold Licence charges are being agreed with the Environment Agency and will be announced in due course. The surcharge for boats without a home mooring will be applied to our portion of the fee. The wide beam surcharge will begin to be applied from January 2026.
