Consumer Issues: Charges and bills

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Charges and bills

How household customers are charged

Companies charge their household customers for water and sewerage by:

unmetered charges – usually based on the rateable value of the customer's property;
metered charges – based on the amount of water recorded by the customer's meter; or
assessed charges – ideally based on the amount of water a customer would be likely to use if they had a meter.

How non-household customers are charged

Charges to non-household customers typically vary according to the volume of water that the customer uses and the volume of wastewater or trade effluent that it discharges. Smaller non-households usually pay the same volumetric rates as household customers, although their standing charges may differ according to the size of their water meter. Unmetered customers pay according to each company's household unmetered charges based on the rateable value of the property.

With the exception of Cholderton Water, all companies offer reduced rate tariffs to large water users, reflecting the lower costs of supplying these customers. All of the water and sewerage companies also offer reduced rate tariffs to their large sewerage customers and most do likewise for their large trade effluent customers.

Since 1 December 2005 non-household customers who are likely to use at least 50 million litres of water a year at each of their premises have been able to benefit from new competition regime. Eligible customers may be able to choose their water supplier from a range of new companies entering the market.

If you think you may be eligible to choose your water supplier, please get in touch with us (Ofwat) or the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater). We can help you work out if you are eligible and give you information to help you review the opportunities available.

For more detailed information see our customer charges for 2008-09 pages

New water and sewerage charges apply from 1 April 2008. We explain how the new charges will affect your bills.
See also Your water and sewerage bill 2008-09

Charges and bills

Household Charges

Water meter savings calculator

(Excel - 397Kb)

Household bill increases in 2008-09

Unmetered charges

Metered charges

Non-household Charges

Standard non-household water tariffs

Large user tariffs for water

Sewerage tariffs

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