About your bill
Your charges explained
Contents
Introduction 1
Charges 2023-24 2
How you are charged 3
Metered customers 4
Unmetered customers 6
Where your money goes 8
Common questions 10
Do you qualify for the surface water rebate? 12
Extra support 13
Introduction
Each year we set our charges according to price limits that are
determined by Ofwat, the water industry’s regulator, every five
years.
Prices were set for the period between 2020-2025 following
reviews that started in 2019.
This leaflet explains more about Ofwat’s price limits, how you are
charged and where the money goes.
Charges for Bristol Water and Wessex Water are collected by
Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited (BWBSL).
Charges applicable from 1 April are published on company
websites early in February. Visit bristolwater.co.uk or
wessexwater.co.uk or call 0345 600 3 600.
Further information about charges is also available from our
regulator www.ofwat.gov.uk
1
Charges 2023-24 How you are charged
Our charges from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 are shown below.
2 3
Metered charges Bristol Water Wessex Water
Water supply
Standing charge per annum £48.15 -
Charge per cubic metre £1.5117 -
Sewerage
Standing charge per annum - £63
Abated standing charge per annum* - £38
Charge per cubic metre - £1.8301
WaterSure
Water supply charge per annum £197
Sewerage charge per annum - £225
Unmetered charges Bristol Water Wessex Water
Water supply
Standing charge per annum £37.72 -
Poundage charge per £ of RV £1.3435 -
Sewerage
Standing charge per annum - £8
Poundage charge per £ of RV - -
Full - £1.7911
Abated poundage charge** - £1.6414
* the abated standing charge is payable where no part of the property is connected for surface
water drainage.
** the abated poundage charge is payable where no part of the property is connected for surface
water drainage.
Charges for water and sewerage services
are either based on how much water you
use (metered charge) or the rateable
value (RV) of your property (unmetered
charge).
Since 1991, meters have been installed
in all newly built properties, and Bristol
Water’s aim is that all properties will be
metered on change of occupancy.
Anyone can have a meter fitted free of
charge.
If you live on your own, have a small
family, live in a house with a high
rateable value, or you are a low water
user, you could pay less on a meter.
How the charges are set
Our customers are a very important
part of our process for setting charges.
We consult with them at length and
take their views into account in our
five-yearly business plan. There’s more
information on pages 8 and 9 about
where we are investing.
Our economic regulator, Ofwat, then
examines our plan and sets a price
formula that enables us to put the plan
into practice while limiting increases in
our charges each year.
Within these limits, we may need to
change individual charges by different
amounts so that charges to customers
are fair in reflecting the cost of the
services. For example, this means that
the change in unmetered charges
could be less or more than charges for
metered services.
The difference between
metered and unmetered
charges
We make sure that the difference
between metered and unmetered
bills reflects the difference in the cost
of providing these services. By using
the average amount of water that an
unmetered household would use, we
calculate what an average household’s
bill would be if it was paying on a
metered basis. This is then compared
with the actual average unmetered bill
to ensure it reflects the difference in
costs.
Metered charges take into account the
extra cost of metering including the
maintenance, replacement and reading
of the meter and costs of sending two
bills every year instead of one. Despite
this the metered average bill is lower
than unmetered because metered
customers use less water on average
than unmetered.
When comparing metered and
unmetered bills, you must look at the
overall bill and not just the separate
elements. It is not appropriate to
make direct comparisons between one
element of a bill for unmetered and
metered, as they do not cover the same
services.
You can check if you would
benefit from a meter by using
the online water calculator:
bristolwater.co.uk/calculator
Metered customers Your bill
Metered charges
If you have a meter your water charges
are based on the amount of water you
use.
Where a metered bill spans a period
before and after 1 April 2023, we charge
for water used before 1 April at 2022-
23 rates and water used after that date
at 2023-24 rates. We assume that use
is consistent throughout the entire
billing period. Sewerage charges, where
applicable, are applied on the same
basis.
Sewerage charges
Sewerage is normally charged on the
assumption that 95% of the water used
returns to the sewer.
The 5% allowance covers virtually all
household situations, eg, evaporation,
car washing, drinking, cooking and all
garden related use (including normal use
of hosepipes, sprinklers, paddling pools
and hot tub top ups). It also takes into
account wet and dry years.
The average UK household uses 130m
3
of water per year. The 5% allowance
amounts to about 6,500 litres or 1,430
gallons.
If considerably less than 95% of your
water use is returned to the sewer,
please let us know and we’ll find out if
you qualify for a reduction in charges.
Water supplies to new homes will be
metered as no rateable value exists for
these properties.
If we can’t fit a meter because of space
or other technical constraints we can
offer you an assessed charge based
on the number of bedrooms in your
property.
Metered standing charges
The standing charges are annual fixed
charges and each metered bill includes a
proportion of the standing charge based
on the number of days since the last
meter reading.
The metered water supply standing
charge covers some of the cost
of reading the meter, its repair or
replacement and billing costs.
Meter sizes vary and your meter
connection may determine the level
of your sewerage standing charge. The
metered sewerage standing charge is
made up of three parts: billing costs, the
costs associated with the collection and
treatment of highway drainage and the
costs associated with the collection and
treatment of surface water from roofs,
drives and patios (the Surface Water
Drainage charge).
If you have a water meter you will be billed in arrears, normally twice a year,
for the water you have used. Payment is due immediately unless you have a
payment arrangement with us. If you have recently had a water meter fitted,
your first bill will normally arrive within six months of your meter being fitted.
4 5
Apply online for a water meter at
bristolwater.co.uk/water-meter
Bill cap scheme - WaterSure
If you have a water meter and
need to use a large amount of
water for reasons you cannot
control, WaterSure may be
able to help. WaterSure puts a
limit on the amount you have
to pay.
To qualify, you must receive
one of the major social
benefits or tax credits, such
as Income Support, income-
based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
income-related Employment
and Support Allowance,
Working Tax Credit, Child Tax
Credit, Housing Benefit or
Universal Credit.
In addition, you must either:
• receive child benefit for
three or more children under
19 living in your household,
or
• have someone in the
household with a medical
condition that causes them
to use significantly more
water.
See our website for more information:
bristolwater.co.uk/help-to-pay or
wessexwater.co.uk/watersure-plus or call 0345 600 3 600.
Discount for low income pensioners
You might be entitled to a discount of around £60 if all the adults in your home
receive state pension as their only form of income or receive Pension Credit.
It’s easy to apply, call our friendly team or visit wessexwater.co.uk/pension-credit
or bristolwater.co.uk/pension-credit
Unmetered customers
Unmetered charges –
charging on the basis of
your rateable value
If you pay for your water on an
unmetered basis, the rateable value
of your property is used to calculate
your bill. Rateable value was used up to
1990 as the basis of the general rate bill
paid to your local council. Values were
assessed and changed by the Valuation
Office of the Inland Revenue and based
loosely on the rental value of a property.
A number of factors were taken into
account when assessing the rental
value, including the size of the property,
general condition and availability of
local services. We don’t know exactly
how individual values were calculated
because it was never our responsibility.
In 1990 the government introduced
The Community Charge (poll tax) and
the Valuation Office stopped assessing
or changing rateable values. The
Community Charge was replaced by
the council tax and the Valuation Office
started assessing council tax bands.
Unlike rateable values, these bands are
based on the actual value of a property
rather than the rental value. The two
assessments can’t be compared and a
change to the council tax banding does
not change a rateable value.
By law water companies have the right
to continue using rateable values as the
basis of charge. The Valuation Office
no longer deals with rateable values
and there is no mechanism in place to
change them.
It’s important to remember that if your
water bill is based on the rateable value
of your property, it isn’t directly related
to your use of water and/or sewerage
services. So if you feel your unmetered
charge is higher than your water use you
can normally have a water meter fitted
free of charge.
The single occupier discounts associated
with the council tax don’t apply to water
or sewerage charges, but if you are a low
water user a water meter could help you
lower your bill.
You may find that your neighbour lives
in a similar house but the rateable value
for each property is different, which
means your water and sewerage bills
will be different too.
If you use a sprinkler or have a
swimming pool you must have a
metered supply (or pay a sprinkler tariff).
For details about how to apply for a
meter, see opposite page.
Unmetered standing
charges
The unmetered standing charges
are applied for both water supply
and sewerage. Part of this covers the
cost of billing as well as an element
that reflects some of the fixed costs
of providing you with water and/or
sewerage services.
Each water company decides what
proportion of fixed costs to include
in its standing charges so standing
charges can vary considerably
between different companies, as
they do for Bristol Water and Wessex
Water.
6
Your bill
Unmetered customers normally
receive one bill each year and the
charges are payable in advance
because we know the full year’s
charge right from the start.
Most of our customers spread the
cost of their bill with an instalment
arrangement. For customers who
prefer standard options, payment can
be made in full by 1 April or in two
half-yearly amounts due on 1 April
and 1 October.
If you don’t pay the first half in
April, the total bill has to be paid
immediately.
Switch to a meter
As a rule, if you live in a house with more
bedrooms than people, your children have
recently flown the nest or you’re a low
water user, you might well find that you
can save by switching. It’s completely free
and it doesn’t matter whether you own
your home or rent it.
Plus, if you change your mind, we’ll switch
you back for free at any time within the first
two years of installation and our money back guarantee even
means we’ll credit your account with the difference.*
Apply online at bristolwater.co.uk/meter or request a leaflet and
application form by calling 0345 600 6 600 (24 hour automated
service).
*The switch-back offer does not apply to those automatically switched
to measured charges through our Change of Occupier scheme. To apply
for our money back guarantee, you must pay the charges for the full two
years. If you want to go back you need to ask within 30 days of getting the
second bill in year two. You can go back at any time during the first two
years, but you will have to pay the higher charges.
7
8
What we do
Bristol Water carefully
manages water sources so
you have enough water when
you need it, but at the same
time we ensure we don’t take
any more than we need to
from the environment. Saving
water in your home helps
protect the environment. Visit
bristolwater.co.uk/every-drop
Wessex Water provides
your sewerage service and
every day we safely take
away your sewage and
waste water and treat it so
it can be returned to the
environment.
About your bill
The services provided by Bristol Water
and Wessex Water are combined in one
bill that you receive.
Between 2020 and 2025 we are cutting
bills for customers. On average this will
be by around 5.2%, depending on the
services you receive. While bills are being
cut, Bristol Water and Wessex Water are
investing hundreds of millions of pounds
to maintain and improve water and
sewerage services. This includes:
• renewing pipes and fixing visible
leaks the same day to save water.
In your area we take care of 4,200
miles of water mains and use modern
techniques to identify and fix leaks. If
you spot a leak call our Leakline 0800
801 011
• taking daily water samples and testing
it to make sure it is safe for everyone to
use. Every day your water gets treated
to the highest standard before being
pumped to your home
• improving water quality in 480 miles of
local rivers
• reducing our carbon footprint
• investing in the reliability of your
sewerage services including in severe
weather
• helping customers on low income get a
reduced bill
• continuously improving our levels of
customer service. If there’s a problem
we’re on hand 24 hours a day to deal
with emergencies and help.
Our promises
Bristol Water and Wessex Water have
customer promises that apply to water
services, such as water quality and
supply, and sewerage services, such as
sewer flooding.
The customer promise also details what
you can expect from us when it comes
to customer service and billing, and
what compensation we will pay if we
don’t meet these targets.
To find out more visit
bristolwater.co.uk/promise or
wessexwater.co.uk/promises
Alternatively call 0345 600 3 600.
Your comments
If you have any comments or complaints
about the services we provide, our core
customer information for enquiries and
complaints shows how you can get in
touch.
If you are unhappy with the response
you receive, you can then contact the
CCW - the voice for water consumers,
the independent customer watchdog
or, in some cases, the Water Services
Regulation Authority (Ofwat).
For more information visit:
bristolwater.co.uk/contact-us or
wessexwater.co.uk/complaints
(www.ccwater.org.uk and
www.ofwat.gov.uk) or call
0345 600 3 600 for a leaflet.
Your view matters
We value your opinion so please join our online customer research panels.
bristolwater.co.uk/learning-from-you or wessexwater.co.uk/have-your-say
9
Saving water
Applying some simple water saving
measures around the home may help
you save money, energy and water –
to find out more and to order a FREE
water saving pack go to our website:
bristolwater.co.uk/every-drop
Apply a few of these tips to save
water and the environment:
• repair dripping taps or leaks
• turn the tap off when cleaning your
teeth
• take a short shower instead of a
bath
• always fully load your washing
machine or dishwasher
• collect rainwater in a water butt to
water plants.
Common questions
Why are the charges for
Bristol Water and Wessex
Water different?
Bristol Water provides you with your
water supply service and Wessex
Water provides your sewerage service.
The costs of providing these services
are different and this is reflected in the
approved charges of both companies.
Why are unmetered charges
billed in advance?
Originally charges were collected
by local authorities who provided
sewerage and/or water services.
They charged in advance in the
same way that the council tax is now
billed. While we continue to bill in
advance, customers can choose to
take advantage of different payment
options to spread the cost of the bill
over the year.
Why do I have to pay
standing charges?
Standing charges for metered
customers contribute towards the
cost of reading the meter, its repair or
replacement and billing costs. Some of
these costs are recovered through the
water supply standing charge and the
rest through the sewerage standing
charge.
We recover the costs of dealing with
surface water and highway drainage
with fixed charges because these
costs bear no relation to the volume of
water used.
The unmetered standing charges
are the same for water supply and
sewerage and part covers the cost of
billing and the fixed costs of providing
you with water and/or sewerage
services.
I’m struggling to pay my
bill, what can I do?
This year charges are increasing
by more than usual, driven by high
inflation. We appreciate this might
be a challenge in light of the cost-of-
living crisis. If you are struggling to pay
your bill, or think you might struggle,
please don’t worry, we can help you:
• Payment breaks
• Flexible payment plan
• Water Direct – using benefits
payments
• Discount for low-income pensioners
• Bill cap scheme – WaterSure
• Reduced bill – Assist
• Debt support scheme – Restart
Visit: bristolwater.co.uk/help-to-pay
or wessexwater.co.uk/help-to-pay
or call 0345 600 3 600.
Organisations such as Citizens
Advice, StepChange and National
Debtline, offer free, independent and
confidential debt advice.
I switched to a water meter.
Can I go back to how I was
paying before it was fitted?
Household customers who have
chosen to have a water meter fitted
sometimes wish to return to paying on
an unmetered basis.
Under our switch back scheme,
customers are welcome to switch back
at any point in the first two years. This
change can only be made once and
customers must pay for the metered
water and sewerage services used to
that date. In this instance, we will not
physically remove the meter but will
update your billing preferences.
To apply for our money back
guarantee, you must pay the charges
for the full two years and then ask
within 30 days of getting the second
bill in year two.
The switch back scheme does not
apply if you’ve had a meter fitted
through our change of occupancy
policy.
I am moving home. What
should I do?
If you have a meter we will need
a reading taken on the day you
move. You can let us know online
at bristolwater.co.uk/moving or
wessexwater.co.uk/moving or call us
on 0345 600 3 600.
If you have difficulty reading your
meter, please give us five working
days’ notice and we will take your final
meter reading for you.
This year charges are increasing
by more than usual, driven by high
inflation. We appreciate this might
be a challenge in light of the cost-of-
living crisis. If you are struggling to pay
your bill, or think you might struggle,
please don’t worry, we can help you.
Do I have to pay charges if I
am renovating my property?
Yes. If you are using water full charges
are payable. If you don’t have a meter
you can choose to have one and just
pay for what you use.
10 11
Extra support when
you need it
We want to give all our customers the
best service at all times. We know that
everyone’s needs are different and we
can help through Priority Services.
When you sign up for Priority Services you can:
• ensure you always have easy access to water
• choose how you receive your bill and information
• ask for help with reading your meter
• set up a password for when we visit.
Priority Services is a free service and anyone living in the
region can sign up for it.
Spread the word – tell your family and friends about our
service if you think it will help them.
Apply online today – visit:
bristolwater.co.uk/priority-services
or call 0345 600 3 600.
Energy providers offer a similar service – don’t forget to
register with them too.
This leaflet is available in Braille, large print
and other formats.
PRIORITY
SERVICES
Extra support when
you need it
Do you qualify for the surface water
rebate?
You pay a charge for rainwater draining from your roof to the sewer. Rainwater
can overwhelm some sewers during intense rainfall and result in storm
overflows operating.
Save around £25 off your bill by disconnecting downpipes, storing rainwater in
a waterbutt and distributing any surplus rainwater across your garden or into a
soakaway.
To claim, you must prove that:
• the majority of rainfall from your roof or shared roof drains into a soakaway at
the front and rear of your property
• the majority of rainfall from your garden, drive, patio or yard runs off into the
ground.
Your claim will be unsuccessful if:
• you use a water butt but have no soakaways
• rainwater from your roof runs indirectly to a sewer, eg, across a pavement,
driveway or hard-paved areas.
A soakaway is where water from your roof, etc, is piped to some type of
underground concrete or plastic chamber, tank or simple pit filled with stone or
gravel, inside or outside the boundary of the property, or shared with adjacent
properties and normally at least three to four metres (10 to 15 feet) away from
the house foundations.
Most properties are connected to a public sewer and are not entitled to the
allowance.
It’s free to make a claim
Visit wessexwater.co.uk/surface-water-drainage or to request a leaflet and
application form call 0345 600 6 600 (24-hour automated service).
12 13
General water supply enquiries
• Loss of supply • Leak • Water quality problem
0345 702 3 797 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, emergencies only at other times)
Submit an online enquiry via our website: bristolwater.co.uk/contact-us
Contact us
General billing enquiries
• Questions about your bill • Payment arrangements • Metering • Moving house
• Problems paying • High water use • Priority Services
0345 600 3 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm; Saturday 9am to 1pm)
General sewerage enquiries
• Sewage flooding • Blocked sewer
0345 600 4 600 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, emergencies only at other times)
Submit an online enquiry via our website: wessex.water.co.uk/contact-us
1
Meter option leaflet
2
Surface water drainage leaflet
3
Charges explained leaflet
4
Submit meter reading after an
estimated bill
5
Information on rateable value charging
We welcome calls via the Relay UK Service.
Calls to 0345 numbers from UK landlines cost no more than calls to
standard UK landline numbers. If you’re calling from a mobile please check
with your service provider as sometimes calls can cost more.
We may record telephone calls into our contact centres for quality, security
and training purposes.
This leaflet forms part of our core customer information, covering
key aspects of our work including charges, enquiries and complaints.
All these leaflets can be found at bristolwater.co.uk or
wessexwater.co.uk/cop
Bristol Water and Wessex Water are not responsible for the content of
external websites.
1131 February 2023
Automated billing telephone services
0345 600 6 600 when connected press:
Submit an online enquiry via our websites:
bristolwater.co.uk/contact-us or wessexwater.co.uk/contact-us
Write to: BWBSL, 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 1WA
