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Cut your water bills
Big meter savings, freebies & more
Updated 29 November 2023
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. Plus there's help for those struggling... we round up all the ways to cut costs in this guide.
Water bills – the forgotten utility, but you can still save
People assume that because you can't switch water company, you can't save. Yet huge savings are still possible and it's worth seeing if you can save, as water bills are often subject to annual price rises. Read our eight need-to-knows to get you started...
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In England and Wales? Some could slash water bills by switching to a meter
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As you can’t switch between firms, the most important decision is how you're billed. In England and Wales, there are two ways:
- Your bills are estimated, so you pay a fixed amount depending on your home's size. Your bill will be based on your home's 'rateable value'.
- You have a water meter, so you only pay for what you use. Since 1990, all new homes have been fitted with water meters and you can get one for free on request.
In Scotland or Northern Ireland? Water bills are based on council tax bands and included in a 'combined service charge' along with other services if you're in Scotland, and there are no domestic water charges in Northern Ireland.
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 also your water company. Remember, you can always try it to see if it saves you money. Most have up to two years to change back free of charge – so if it doesn't work out, ditch it.
![CCW - the voice for water consumers.]()
Free water meter calculator
The 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.
And here's a MoneySaving success to wet your appetite...
Thanks to you I took the step to have a water meter installed and my bill has gone from £65 a month to £17 [saving £576/year]. Thank you.
- Bronwyn - Your bills are estimated, so you pay a fixed amount depending on your home's size. Your bill will be based on your home's 'rateable value'.
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Refused a meter? Get an assessed bill
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Water companies must fit meters for free on request (not in Scotland or Northern Ireland) 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.
Jake emailed us after Thames Water told him they couldn't fit a water meter at his home:
They said they'd put me on an assessed household charge and my bill would go from £567 to £370 and I'd remain unmetered. Almost a £200 saving!"
- JakeMSE weekly email
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Check if you qualify for a social tariff
If you're on a low income (up to about £21,000 a year), you may be able to access a social tariff. All water companies offer them, and they can slash as much as 90% off your bill by lowering or even capping what you pay, whether you have a water meter or not – though some also require you to be on certain benefits. About 5.7 million households are eligible, but have yet to claim, missing out on an estimated average of £160 a year.
Apply by contacting your water company. It will assess your circumstances by asking about your income and situation, and it'll make sure you get the support you're entitled to. One MoneySaver, Eunice, contacted her water company, Anglian Water, and emailed us her success:
I have been switched from a WaterSure tariff to the Extra Lite [social] tariff which has taken my bill down to £9 a month instead of £38 a month, and I have a rebate of £190.94 as they backdated it. Thank you so much for highlighting this.
- EuniceWe've a full list of what's available from each company in the table below:
Water company and scheme Key eligibility criteria What can you get? - Lift
You have a household income of £17,005 a year or less, excluding benefits
OR
You receive one of the listed benefits.
Annual bill capped at £115.10 (£76.70 if you get Council Tax Reduction/Support) Anglian Water
- LiteYou need to have your finances assessed. Up to 50% off annual bill Bournemouth Water
- WaterCareYou need to be on a meter or assessed charges
AND
You or someone in your home receives one of means-tested benefit
AND
Your 'equivalised' weekly income, after housing costs, must be less than £295 (1)
AND
Your water bill should represent more than 5% of your equivalised income after housing costs.
Between 15% and 85% off annual bill - Assist
You need to be on a low income and have your finances assessed.
If all adults in your household receive Pension Credit, you may qualify for a discount of about 20% off your bill.
Up to 88% off annual bill
Cambridge Water
- AssureYou receive Pension Credit 'guarantee element'
OR
You have a household income of £19,050 a year or less, excluding certain benefits (2).
60% bill reduction in first year, 40% reduction in subsequent years (3)
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
- HelpuYou receive an income-related benefit and have a household income (excluding certain benefits) of less than:
- £9,700 a year for a household of one
- £14,600 a year for a household of two
- £16,010 a year for a household of three or more
Annual bill capped at £266.47 Essex and Suffolk
- SupportPlusYou have a household income of £17,005 a year (£21,749 a year in London) or less, and your annual water bill is more than 3% of your net household income (after housing costs, rent or mortgage payments)
OR
Someone in your household receives Pension Credit, and your annual water bill is 3% or more of your net household income (after housing costs, rent or mortgage payments).
Up to 50% off annual bill Hafren Dyfrdwy
- Here2HelpYou have a household income of £20,048 a year or less. Up to 90% off annual bill Northumbrian
- SupportPlus
You have a household income of £17,005 a year or less and your annual water bill is more than 3% of your net household income (after housing costs, rent or mortgage payments)
OR
Someone in your household receives Pension Credit, and your annual water bill is 3% or more of your net household income (after housing costs, rent or mortgage payments).
Up to 50% off annual bill Portsmouth
- Helping Hand tariffYou have a household income of £17,005 a year or less, excluding certain benefits.
Annual bill capped at £82.73 SES
- Water SupportYou have a household income of £17,005 a year (or £21,749 a year if you live in a London borough), or less. Up to 50% off annual bill Severn Trent
- Big DifferenceYou have a household income of £20,048 a year or less. Those with child dependants may be eligible for an additional income allowance. Up to 90% off annual bill South East Water
- The Social TariffYou have a household income of £18,005 a year or less, excluding certain benefits.
Annual bill capped at £174.66 or £140.36, depending on where you live Southern Water
- Essentials tariffYou have a household income of less than £21,000 (excluding certain benefits) and you have savings of less than £16,000
OR
Someone in your household receives Pension Credit.
Between 45% and 90% discount on annual bill
South Staffs
- AssureYou receive the Pension Credit 'guarantee element'
OR
You have a household income of less than £19,050 a year, excluding certain benefits (2).
60% bill reduction in first year, 40% reduction in subsequent years (3)
South West
- WaterCareYou'll need to be on a meter or on assessed charges
AND
You or someone in your home receives one means-tested benefit
AND
Your 'equivalised' weekly income, after housing costs, must be less than £295
AND
Your bill should represent more than 5% of your equivalised income after housing costs.
Between 15% and 85% off annual bill Thames Water
- WaterHelpYou have a household income of less than £17,005 a year (£21,749 a year in London), excluding disability benefits.
Up to 50% off annual bill United Utilities
- Help to Pay- Back on Track
You must receive at least one income-related benefit
AND
Be in arrears with previous years' water charges or have a household income of less than £21,000 a year (if applying due to a recent life event)
OR
You receive Pension Credit.
Annual bill capped between £96 and £516. (4)
For those receiving Pension Credit, annual bill capped at £270 or £384.
- Assist
Based on ability to pay. You don't need to receive benefits to apply.
Up to 80% off annual bill - WaterSupport
You're on a low income with an annual bill of more than £350.
Annual bill capped at £350 Table correct as of October 2023. (1) 'Equivalised income' is adjusted to reflect the size of a household. For example, an income of £200 is worth more to a single person than it would be to a family with three children. (2) Families with children have an additional allowance of £1,500 per child added to the household income threshold. (3) If claimants have no income (while waiting for a Universal Credit application to be processed) then charges will be fully waived for eight weeks. The 60% reduction will then apply for the remainder of the first year. (4) United Utilities offer customers a payment break until their first Universal Credit payment is received. Once in receipt of UC customers maybe eligible for a social tariff lowering their bill and are offered the option to extend their repayment period.
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On benefits and live in a metered household? Some could get capped bills through the WaterSure scheme
If you have a water meter, it may also be possible to get a reduced or capped bill through the national WaterSure scheme, available through all water companies.
To qualify, you (or someone living with you) must be receiving at least one eligible benefit AND have either three or more children under the age of 19 in full-time education, or have a medical condition that means you use extra water.
The eligible benefits are:
- Child Tax Credit (except families receiving the family element only)
- Housing Benefit
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
If you're accepted, your bills will be capped, so regardless of how much water you use, you won't pay more than your supplier's average household cost. Typical savings can be about £250 a year. To sign up, contact your supplier for an application form.
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Not eligible for a social tariff or WaterSure? Get help from your supplier if you're struggling to pay
If you don't qualify for a social tariff or the WaterSure scheme and you're struggling to pay, call your water company and ask for help. All providers offer a range of other measures to help those who have fallen into debt.
Ask your water company for a repayment plan
All water companies should offer you a repayment or 'restart' plan, whether you're on a meter or not. These repayment plans differ between companies, but a common example is that the firm will match each payment you make. So for every £1 you pay, the water company will also pay £1 towards your bill.
Some companies will even wipe some of your debt if you continue to make repayments under your plan or will increase the amount that's matched. For example, after six months for every £1 you pay towards your debt, the company will pay £2 towards your bill, which helps you pay off your debt quicker.
The water company will consider your situation and carry out a financial assessment to see which option will suit you best.
If you're really struggling, you may be able to get a charity grant
Many water companies in England and Wales offer schemes and/or have charity funds to help customers with genuine reasons for being in debt or struggling to pay their water bills. This can mean a one-off payment to wipe all or part of your debt.
These include:
- Dwr Cymru customer assistance fund
- Thames Water customer assistance fund
- United Utilities trust fund
Any customer of these firms can apply, but each supplier has its own application process and applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis – so only those who really need help will get it. If successful, you'll get help with clearing your water debt (for example, Dwr Cymru will pay off 50% of your debt if you've made repayments for six months). And some can even help with other debts you might have, such as if you've fallen behind on your energy or council tax bill.
If you need help filling in the application form, you can contact Citizens Advice which can help you.
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Grab free water-saving gadgets
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Households across much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can bag a range of free insulation and water-saving gadgets, and there are usually 100,000s available. While the freebies are funded by the water companies, it's water efficiency company Save Water Save Money that manages the distribution of 'em.
You can get one item each per household, but what's available varies by water company, where you live and what's available at the time.
The gadgets include shower heads (which help regulate water usage, normally £20), tap inserts (to regulate water flow, normally £5), shower timers (usually £2.50, to help you cut down), garden hose nozzles (to regulate flow, normally £2.50), 100 and 200 litre water butts (to collect rainwater for flushing toilets and watering gardens, typically £20+) and 'Buffaloo' cistern bags (which you place into your toilet cistern so each flush uses less water, normally £2).
While the freebies are available all year, over 800,000 gadgets are available right now, including over 50,000 tap jackets and pipe lagging to help protect your home from the cold.
How to check what's available and apply depends on which water company you're with...
- If you're with Bristol Water or South East Water you can go straight to the freebies via this Save Water Save Money link. 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.
- If you're with Bournemouth Water, Cambridge Water, Dwr Cymru, Guernsey Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Portsmouth Water, SES Water, Severn Trent, South Staffs Water, South West Water, Wessex Water, NI Water, Jersey Water, Scottish Water, United Utilities, or Yorkshire Water you'll need to use Save Water Save Money's savings calculator to access the freebies.
- If you're with Affinity Water, Anglian, Essex & Suffolk, Southern Water or Northumbrian, they're not part of Save Water Save Money's promotion, but you can sometimes get the freebies if you go direct to their websites.
- If you're with Thames Water, it no longer offers free water-saving gadgets, so you'd either need to buy your own, or rely on saving water without gadgets.
How much could I save?
Savings vary by supplier and usage, but the Energy Saving Trust estimates that replacing an inefficient shower head with an efficient one could save a family of four £30 on their gas bill and about £30 on their water bill (if metered) each year.
And with the new winter insulation freebies, not only could you cut down on leaks, but they will protect you from costly repair bills from burst pipes.
What's more, reducing water consumption helps the environment. The 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.
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- If you're with Bristol Water or South East Water you can go straight to the freebies via this Save Water Save Money link. 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.
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Check if you're entitled to 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% to 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? Take it to the Consumer Council for Water
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 Consumer Council for Water 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.
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Get compensation for low pressure, missed appointments and supply issues
Under the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS), that all water and wastewater companies must adhere to, you're entitled to compensation if certain things go wrong with your water supply.
This includes low pressure, not restoring a water supply that's been cut off, or if your supplier fails to attend pre-arranged appointments. You should get at least £20 in each case. You can see the full list of issues covered and minimum compensation amounts on the Ofwat website.
Water and wastewater companies should automatically pay at least £20 compensation if they fail to provide a guaranteed service
If it doesn't, and you think it should have, you can claim within three months of the incident occurring.
You'll need to contact your waste or surface water company in the first instance. For most households, the company that deals with their water supply is the same company that deals with their wastewater and sewerage. However, in some cases it may be two different companies – check your bill to find out. You can also check Ofwat's map to find your supplier.
If your water company refuses to pay compensation, the Consumer Council for Water may be able to help. If they aren't successful, they may refer you to Ofwat for a formal resolution.
All water companies must pay £10 a day compensation if you can't do essential household chores due to drought restrictions
If you can't get water to drink, cook, wash, or flush the toilet, as a result of emergency restrictions put in place due to drought, you'll be entitled to £10 for each day (or part day) that your household water supply is interrupted or cut off. The maximum you could get is your water company’s average household bill for the previous year.
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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!
30 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:
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Don't flush your pennies down the toilet
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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."
Get a dual-flush loo. Use the small flush for number ones, or the stronger flush for bigger jobs!
- Use a Save-A-Flush. Many water companies offer free Save-A-Flush bags that go in your loo's cistern, so you don't use as much water. It's good for the environment and saves roughly a tenner a year. If you can't be bothered to contact your water firm for one, fill up a one-litre (two-litre for bigger savings) fizzy-drink bottle with water and it should do the same job. There's a tool that shows you how to get water devices from your water firm at Save Water Save Money.
Please suggest any other tips or tricks in the Cheap water bills thread.
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Water bills change every year – in April, they rose by 7.5% on average
Every April, water companies assess and change the rates they charge customers. Whilst typically this is an increase, some have been known to reduce bills by a small amount in some years.
Water bills across England and Wales rose by an average of 7.5% in April 2023 – that's a rise of £31 a year on a typical bill. Anglian customers saw the biggest rise (£47/year), while Bournemouth Water customers will see an increase of just £3/year.
Rates in Scotland rose by an average of 5% on 1 April 2023. So those on the combined service charge in council tax band A, for example, now pay £335 a year, while those in tax band D pay £502 a year.
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