You either pay your water bill based on a fixed rate or on the basis of the amount of water you actually use, measured with a water meter.
This page explains how you are charged if you don’t have a water meter and what you can do if you have a query about how much you're charged.
Paying your water bill
If you pay for water without a meter, the water company expects payment in advance. If you think your bill is wrong, you should contact your water company. Before you do this, check:
it's in your name, especially if you've just moved and may be billed for water the last resident used
it's for the same time period that it's usually for and not for a longer time period than normal for some reason
it isn't estimated. Estimates are sometimes based on previous high water use
whether you're paying off towards money you owe on previous bills.
How is your water bill calculated?
If you don't have a water meter, you will pay an unmeasured charge. This is often made up of a standing charge and a charge that varies.
You can have an unmeasured charge based on one of these things:
Flat rate charge
Some water companies will charge a flat rate for everyone, wherever they live and whatever property they live in.
Assessed Volume Charge
Assessed Volume Charge is usually based on the size and type of the property or the number of occupants. It can sometimes be offered instead of a meter, if you've asked for one and it's not possible to fit one at your property.
Charges based on the rateable value of the property
Before April 1990, every property in England and Wales was given a rateable value. This was based on how much the property could be let for. Some water bills are charged as a percentage of this rateable value. The amount varies from one water company to another.
Querying the rateable value of the property
You may want to query your water bill if it's based on the rateable value and your property has changed a lot since the value was set. You can't have the rateable value reassessed. However, you may be able to get a water meter installed instead, or have a fixed charged applied to the property. This would be based on council tax banding or on a notional rateable value.
Your property might have changed a lot if, for example, it used to be several flats and is now one house, or has been split up into smaller houses or flats.
As a rule of thumb, you could pay less on a meter than you do on the rateable value if you have fewer people in the property than bedrooms.
If you're renting
Check how you can pay your water bills if you’re renting.
Next steps
Other useful information
Check which water company supplies your area on the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) website.
Get more help with water issues on the CCW website.
FAQs
If you don't have a water meter, you will pay an unmeasured charge. This is often made up of a standing charge and a charge that varies. You can have an unmeasured charge based on one of these things: a flat rate charge.
How accurate is the water meter reading? ›
This means that meters must read between 98.5 and 101.5 percent of the accurate water usage in a home. Before deciding on meter replacement, ensure no leaks are present anywhere from the meter to the home.
What are the disadvantages of having a water meter? ›
What are the Disadvantages of Having a Water Meter?
- High volume water usage. If you do use a lot of water, it doesn't make any sense to switch to a water meter. ...
- You won't be paying for leaks. ...
- No surprises. ...
- You have longer to change your mind.
What are my rights? The only instance where you can decline a water meter is if your supplier only recommends you have a water meter, but does not have legal powers to enforce it. If your water supplier has been granted legal powers to fit compulsory water meters, you don't have any right to refuse one.
Can I switch back to unmetered water? ›
You can switch back to an unmetered bill within two years
With many providers, you've two years to assess whether having a water meter is worth it and, if you decide it isn't right for you, you can ask your water company to switch you back to an unmetered bill.
Can water meters read too high? ›
The simple truth is that water meters never read inaccurately high. The meter will not arbitrarily run faster than it was designed to run or run backwards. The mechanical parts are not capable of “speeding up” or registering a significantly higher reading than actual usage.
Why is my water meter reading high but no leak? ›
You Have a Faulty Water Meter
If your water usage is unchanged, your city hasn't implemented a rate hike, and you have a high water bill with no visible leaks, the problem may be that you have an issue with your water meter. This isn't a common problem, but it's also not unheard of.
Who is responsible for reading a water meter? ›
Meter reading
If you have a water meter, it should be read at least once a year, and read by your water company at least once every two years. Some water companies might read your meter more frequently. Often the water meter is installed so that your company can read the meter remotely.
Can a water meter give a false reading? ›
Again, this is a common concern with water consumers when they get a high water bill. But the simple truth is that water meters never read inaccurately high. As mechanical meters wear out, they sometimes read low, and undercharge you; but they simply don't read high.
How often are water meters read? ›
Your water company will usually read your meter twice a year. If it cannot read your meter, it will estimate how much water you have used so that it can send you a bill.
When water comes into your home or building, it enters through a water lateral and then goes through the water meter. All of the water that enters the building is measured.
What affects water meter reading? ›
A leak in your home may cause higher than average water bills. Changes may occur when an old, worn meter is replaced by a new meter that more accurately measures water consumption. A meter's accuracy will reduce over time, but it does not fluctuate up and then back down over the course of a few months.
What factors affect water meter? ›
Suspended solids and depositions
Water meters are significantly affected by these two parameters. Positive displacement meters may stop when a particle bigger than the spare space between the piston/disc and the chamber passes through the strainers of the meter.
Do water meters have sensors? ›
Digital water meters are wireless and rely on solid-state technology in compact, weatherproof housing. They have sensors that measure the water flow as it passes through them. These sensors can detect even the smallest amounts of water usage, making them more accurate than traditional meters.
Does every house have a water meter? ›
All new properties should have a water meter. The builder should have given you the meter details when your home was handed over.
What is the need of installing water meter? ›
A water meter allows both us, and the consent holder, to accurately check the amount of water being taken.
Can you get a smart meter for water? ›
Smart water meters allow you to automatically track the amount of water you use. They also allow us to find and fix leaks more quickly. We're fitting free water meters for all customers to help save water as part of our metering programme.
How are water meters read remotely? ›
We have Pulse-Output Water Meters that have a pulse output that can be read remotely. For each unit of water that flows by the meter produces an electrical pulse that can be measured from a distance.
