Changes take effect from April 2006 and a letter has been sent to all of BW's long term mooring customers advising them of the price changes.

"Our local managers reviewed each mooring site, assessing the level of demand, the range and quality of facilities available, and private operators' prices for moorings in the vicinity, " said Sally Ash, BW's head of boating development. "A result of this process is a variation in price increases from site to site, and for a few locations the price has reduced."

It's very important that our customers pay the local market rate for their mooring, Ash added. "This is part of BW's wider commitment to encourage boating but not to unfairly undercut the cost of private moorings in the same area, " she explained.

According to BW, demand for the network's online moorings is very high and there are significant waiting lists for almost all mooring sites. To help meet demand, BW will launch a guide for private sector investors in 2006 with the aim of encouraging more inland waterways marinas on BW's network.

By creating further berths to help meet demand, it is hoped that upward pressure on prices will reduce.

BW offers a free service to all moorings operators to advertise availability of berths on BW's leisure website, www.waterscape.com.