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Cut your water bills
Big meter savings, freebies & more
Updated 21 October 2020
Water is the forgotten utility – many think they can't save, but we've seen successes from those who have slashed £100s off their bills by fitting water meters and cutting down on how much they use.
Water bills – the forgotten utility, but you can still save
Everyone knows that you can switch gas and electricity provider, typically saving £100s/year by doing so. People assume that because you can't switch water company, you can't save. Yet huge savings are still possible when it comes to water bills. Here's some inspiration before you start...
Switched to a water meter a few years back and now pay £45 a month less. Plus it makes me more conscious of what I use – I fixed a dripping tap!
- DenwantsJFT96
Thanks, we've water-metered. Monthly direct debit is down from £80 to £25.
- Helen
Unlike with gas and electricity, you can't switch to a cheaper water provider to reduce your bills. But the steps below can help some save by deciding how you're billed.
How you pay for water depends on where you are in the country. In England and Wales, your water supplier changes depending on where you live, so the key question is whether you should switch to a meter or not. We go through the pros and cons of getting a water meter and whether you should take the plunge (sorry) below.
In Scotland, it's simple, water and sewerage prices depend on the council tax band for your home and are covered by a 'combined service charge', and in Northern Ireland there are no domestic water charges. Yet you (and everyone else) can still save by cutting down on how much water you use – not only is this good for the environment, but it also reduces the amount of energy you need to spend heating the water you use.
Average prices dropped in April (though bills went up for some)
Water bills across England and Wales fell by an average of 4% in April 2020 – that's a drop of £16/yr on the typical bill. Northumbrian Water customers saw the biggest fall (21%), yet some water companies increased prices – eg, Hafren Dyfrdwy and Dwr Cymru's bills rose by an average of 1.3%.
Rates in Scotland went up by 0.9% on 1 April 2020. So those on the combined service charge in tax band A, for example, now pay £298/yr, while those in tax band D pay £448/yr.
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Can you save £100s with a water meter?
The water market may be privatised, but it's not open to competition, meaning you can't switch between providers – so you're limited in what you can do to cut how much you pay. This means the most important decision is how you're billed. There are two ways you can be billed:
1. You pay a fixed bill depending on your home's size
Without a water meter, your bill will be based on your home's 'rateable value'. The amount of water used is irrelevant.
Before 1990, councils assessed homes to produce rateable values, and they were based on what rent homes could raise in the private market. Criteria for rateable values included the property's size. All homes were last assessed in 1973. Between then and 1990, only new homes were assessed. Since 1990, all new homes have been fitted with water meters.
There are no plans to change the rateable value system and there's no prospect of getting your home's value reassessed. In Scotland, water bills are based on council tax bands and included in a 'combined service charge' along with other services. There are no domestic water charges in Northern Ireland.
2. You pay for the water you use
Around half of all homes have a water meter, where the size of your bill depends on your consumption. But as well as water use, water meters usually calculate the sewerage bill too. The sewerage costs are higher than everyday water use (eg, showers) because of the processing involved in pumping waste water out of your home.
Companies have accused us of talking excrement in the past, but it's true here – "what comes in must go out".
Should you get a water meter?
To see if a water meter is right for you, first of all you need to work out if a meter is financially worthwhile, and here's the killer rule to remember:
In Scotland, it's not free to have a water meter installed (it's actually quite pricey), so unless you live alone in a manor-type property, you should stick to estimated payments. There are no domestic water charges in Northern Ireland, so no need for a meter.
How much can you save?
It varies depending on your household's usage, but we regularly see successes of £100s a year. Use the water meter calculator below to do a full check.
Whether a meter's worthwhile depends – as we've said – on your usage, but also your water company. There are two ways this calculation can be done for you – see the box below. And remember, you can always try it to see if it saves you money. Most have a right to switch back within two years – so if it doesn't work out, ditch it.
Free water meter calculator
The CCW (Consumer Council for Water) has a free water meter calculator that tells you if you can save with a meter.
It asks questions about your water use – for example, how many people live in your home, the number of showers taken a week, your dishwasher use and what you're paying at the moment – then tells you your estimated costs if you have a meter.
If it's less than what you're paying now, you could be quids in.
Alternatively, ask the water company
For a more accurate, albeit time-consuming comparison, call your water company and ask for its calculator, as this'll be the best indicator of whether you'll save.
Will you always save?
If you're weighing up whether to get a meter, there are a few more facts to be aware of...
How to get a water meter
To get a water meter installed, you can either head over to your provider's website and see if you can apply – you'll usually need to fill out an application form – or give it a call and ask.
It's free to get one installed and water meters can be fitted both inside and outside your home.
Once installed, the supplier should give you an information pack detailing your new charges and update your online account.
Water companies must fit meters for free on request (not in Scotland) unless it's justifiably impractical, such as flats with shared pipes. You can appeal against the decision if a water company says it won't fit a meter. Go to the regulator Ofwat.
If the water company actually can't fit a meter and your water usage is limited, ask for an 'assessed charge bill'. This is worked out on details such as how many people live in your home, but varies from company to company.
Some companies don't base assessed charges on the number of people living in the house, but instead offer a single occupancy rate. The most common assessed charges are based on:
- The number of bedrooms in your property.
- The type of property you live in.
- The number of people who live in the property.
- A fixed charge based on the average metered bill in your company's area.
Importantly, if you request a meter and the company's assessed charge is higher than what a metered charge would have been, you can simply stick to your current payment method. So you've nothing to lose by checking.
If you're having trouble paying your water bill and have fallen into debt, contact your water company to see what help it can offer. All companies offer some kind of help – this can be anything from providing repayment plans, discounts or even a cap on how much you pay.
What's available varies from company to company. Don't worry if you're unsure which scheme is best for you. Call your provider and it will assess your circumstances and decide which one will save you the most money.
Here's a brief outline of what you might be able to get:
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For those in debt crisis (see debt crisis definition) who are consistently struggling with debts and meeting repayments, free personal help is invaluable – see our Debt Help guide and the Citizens Advice website.
Are you due a light sewerage rebate?
While the water meter billing system's mostly straightforward, it's assumed "what goes in, must come out", and that any water used creates roughly an equivalent amount in sewerage.
The general assumption is that 90-95% goes back. But this can be wrong in a few specific circumstances. If that's the case, you can get serious money back.
Refused a rebate request? Take it to the CCW
If your water company won't give you a rebate (usually backdated to the beginning of the current billing year), get in touch with your local CCW office. It should be able to help if you feel the company should reasonably have known you weren't connected, for example, if you live in a block of flats and other residents already receive an allowance.
Bag free water-saving gadgets - 250,000+ up for grabs
Households across much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can bag a range of free water-saving gadgets. While the freebies are funded by the water companies, it's water efficiency company Save Water Save Money which manages the distribution of 'em.
Products vary by water company, and you can get one item each per household. What you can get also depends on where you live and what's available at the time.
The gadgets on offer include shower heads (which help regulate water usage, normally £20), tap inserts (to regulate water flow, norm £5), garden hose nozzles (also to regulate flow, norm £2.50) and Buffalo cistern bags (which you place into your toilet cistern so each flush uses less water, norm £2).
How do I check if I can get them and how do I apply?
Most can go straight to the freebies via this Save Water Save Money link (unless you're with Anglian, Northumbrian, Thames, Welsh and Essex & Suffolk Water – see below for more). Simply enter your postcode in the 'free water-saving devices' box to see what's available, then enter your details to get 'em sent for free within 28 days.
For Anglian, Northumbrian, Thames, Welsh and Essex & Suffolk Water customers, you'll need to use Save Water Save Money's savings calculator to access the freebies (this will also work for customers of any other firm). It'll ask you questions about your usage, and at the end gives you a free report that lets you know how much water you're using, what freebies you can claim, and also sets challenges that can help you cut back your usage.
How much could I save?
Savings vary by supplier and usage, but the Energy Saving Trust estimates that replacing an inefficient shower head with a water-efficient one could save a family of four £70 on their gas bill and about £115 on their water bill (if metered).
What's more, reducing water consumption helps the environment too. Energy Saving Trust says it can cut energy use, reduce the impact on your local environment and limit carbon dioxide emissions by using less energy to pump, heat and treat the water.
Change your habits
For those on a water meter, saving water means saving money. But for those not on meters, it can slash energy bills and help the environment. Nowadays we use an average 150 litres of water a day per person – our grandparents only used around 20!
Top tips suggested by MoneySavers
Below are some tips collected from MoneySavers (some are not for the faint-hearted). We'll start with our favourite. It's not for everyone, but some MoneySavers save it for when using the loo at night...
If that's not quite your thing, here are our other top tips:
Don't wallow, shoot into the shower. A quick shower uses far less than a long soak in the tub, so think twice before baths.
Save your washing up for one wash. Instead of washing up as you go, save it up and do it in one go to minimise the amount of water used. As one MoneySaver says, it's a great excuse to leave the washing up!
Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Simple but effective!
Steam your veggies. Healthier and tastier than boiling them.
- Running your tap to temperature? Fill up empty bottles while you wait for it to heat up and use round the house to water plants or for the kettle.
Use rainwater for flushing the loo. One MoneySaver's tip: "I use rainwater for flushing the loo, after filtering through muslin. My tanks are 200 gallon metal, sealed, with a large tap. Charcoal in netting, the sort oranges come in, keeps water smelling sweeter. The bucket stands outside the conservatory door or in the bath, with a splash of half-strength bleach."
Fix leaky taps. Check your meter's not increasing when you're not using water. If it is, get leaks sorted.
Turn off the tap when you shower. After initially wetting yourself, turn off the shower until you are ready to rinse clean. One MoneySaver reckons you can shower with almost no water at all.
Please suggest any other tips or tricks in the Cheap Water Bills thread.
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