Water bills, social tariffs and WaterSure

Unmetered customers pay a fixed amount based on the value of their property, not how much water they use. Metered customers pay for the water they actually use, plus a standing charge. Since 1990 all new homes have had to have a meter fitted.

Ofwat sets the revenue each company can recover from bills in five-year price reviews; the current price controls cover April 2025 to March 2030. Bills vary substantially between regions. The government announced in July 2025 that Ofwat will be abolished and replaced by a single new water regulator; until that regulator is legally set up, Ofwat keeps its full powers.

Every water company in England and Wales offers a social tariff for households with a low income or other specified circumstances. Eligibility, discount and name vary by company (e.g. WaterHelp at Thames Water, Big Difference at Severn Trent, HelpU at Welsh Water, Assist at Bristol Water).

Discounts vary widely — from around 15% at some companies to as much as 99% at others, and some cap the bill at a fixed amount instead. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) lists each company's scheme. Apply directly to your water company — there is no central application route. You may need to provide income evidence and benefit letters.

WaterSure is a statutory scheme in England that caps the metered bill at your water company's average household bill. To qualify you must: be charged by meter, receive a qualifying means-tested benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related ESA, or certain tax credits), and either get Child Benefit for three or more children under 19 living with you, or have someone in the household with a medical condition that means they use significantly more water (such as weeping skin disease, incontinence, an abdominal stoma, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or kidney failure needing home dialysis). See the WaterSure regulations.

The cap starts from when you apply, not retrospectively, and lasts 12 months — so you need to reapply each year. The two Welsh water companies run their own voluntary equivalents. The government announced in February 2026 that it will widen WaterSure and increase support; CCW expects the changes in 2027.

Water companies will install a meter for free on request, where it is practicable. Whether you save depends on how much water your household actually uses — CCW's water meter calculator gives an estimate. If your company can't fit a meter, it may offer an assessed charge instead.

If your bill goes up after switching, the law lets you switch back to unmetered charges within 12 months of being charged by meter, and CCW says companies allow up to two years. This does not apply in areas of England where compulsory metering has been introduced. Ask your water company for the exact rule that applies to you.