Our WaterCare tariff is available to our low-income customer who are either on a water meter or assessed charges.
This tariff offers a reduction on your bill ranging from a 15% discount up to 85%.
Your bills are based on your water usage, so the reason for your bill increasing may be due to:
- More water being used than expected – guests staying, watering the garden, decorating
- Payment plan changes
- Previous bills were estimated meter reads that were under-estimated
- A possible water leak on your underground supply pipe
- Faulty plumbing , dripping taps or overflow
- New appliances that use more water than expected
If this hasn’t helped answer your query please get in contact with us.
Even if you’re not struggling to pay your bills, you can set up a payment plan to help spread the cost. This could include moving to weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments.
We can also talk about whether there’s an easier way for you to pay your bills, such as direct debit, standing order, or over the counter at your local bank.
Call us on 01202 590059
If your latest bill is in credit and the bill is based on a reading rather than an estimated read (if you are on a meter), you can contact us so that we can discuss the refund with you.
If you’ve moved or closed your account, your final bill will show any credit balance. If you’ve confirmed your forwarding address, we'll try to refund you directly in to your bank or send you a cheque.
If we haven't got your forwarding address, the credit will stay on your account until you let us know.
We’re sorry to hear about your loss and appreciate that this may be a difficult time for you.
To ensure we capture all of the relevant information, we would be grateful if we can speak to you directly on 01202 590059. We’re here Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and Saturdays between 9am-2pm.
We may need to request the Executor name and address, a meter reading and a forwarding address for bills, however this will depend on the circumstances.
We aim to read your meter every 6 months. When we’re not able to read your meter when your bill is due, we’ll estimate your meter reading based on your past use.
If you’re on a payment plan, you’ll receive 2 bills a year.
We’ll also aim to read you meter at a similar time and we’ll send you details of when the meter is due to be read either when you have had a meter installed or when you move into a house with a meter.
We’d recommend you read your meter every month to keep an eye on your usage and prevent any undetected leaks.
No. We do not offer discounts for singer occupiers, so if you're not on a water meter and your charges are based on the Rateable Value of your home, you may benefit from switching to a meter.
If you're already on a meter, your bill is based on the amount of water you use.
If we have visited you and advised that we are unable to install a meter, find what to do next.
If you are struggling to pay for your water, there are ways in which we can help.
A cubic metre equals 1,000 litres of water.
If you’re on a meter, the variable charge from 1st April 2025 for 1 cubic metre is £1.4364
Your bill is made up of a fixed charge and a variable charge.
Fixed charge - This covers our costs for operational activities, for example: managing the infrastructure for supplying water, account maintenance and managing enquiries.
Variable charge - This is based on the Rateable Value of your property. This is the figure that we use to calculate this charge on.
A yearly bill for a family living in a house where the property's Rateable Value was set at 250
Here is an example of how we calculate unmetered bills:
Water charges from 1st April 2025:
| Variable charge | £0.9278 | RV 250 x £0.9278 = £231.95 |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed charge (annual) | £33.29 | £33.29 per year |
| Sub total | £231.95 + £33.29 = £265.24 | |
As there is no meter at this property, this charge is not based on how much water is being used. There's more information here on switching to a meter.
Your bill is made up of a fixed and volume charges.
Fixed charge - This covers our costs for operational activities, for example: managing the infrastructure for supplying water, reading and maintaining your meter, account maintenance and managing enquiries.
Volume charge - This is based on the amount of water you use in cubic metres.
Here is an example breakdown of how we calculate metered bills:
A family of 4 use 45 cubic metres of water in 90 days.
Water charges from 1st April 2025:
| Volume charge | £1.4364 | 45 m3 x £1.4364 = £64.638 |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed charge (for 90 days) | £8.21 | £33.29 yearly charge ÷ 365 days x 90 days = £8.21 |
| Total | £64.638 + £8.21 = £72.85 for 90 days | |