Your charges explained

Our charges have been approved by Ofwat, the water industry regulator, which has once again rated us one of the top performing water companies in its annual assessment. Our customers will benefit from bills that are nearly a quarter lower than the national average.

Charges are set based on our performance, including the levels of service we achieve, how many interruptions there are to water supplies, how we handle our contact with customers and the quality of our water.

This page gives you general information about your bill.

  • What are the charges on my bill made up of?
  • The bills we send you will be either based on your water usage, or, if you don't have a meter, on your water rates. We only provide your tap water. The sewerage and drainage services within our supply area are the responsibility of Severn Trent Water. Your bill also includes charges for sewerage and drainage as we collect these on behalf of Severn Trent Water. We collect charges for sewerage and drainage on behalf of Severn Trent Water, so your bill includes these charges.
  • How accurate are the meter readings for my home?
  • If your home has a water meter fitted, it will tell us the amount of water that you have used and you will be charged for it. We will send you four bills each year and at least one of these will be based on an actual company reading, the others will estimate how much water you use each day. When you receive an estimated bill, you can give us your own meter reading if you would rather be billed on what you have actually used. You can do this on our meter reading form or by calling 0845 60 70 456.
  • I don't have a meter, so what are the charges based on?
  • On the rateable value (RV) that was set before 1989 by the valuation office of your local council. The council set a separate RV for each property based on how much rent might be charged if it was rented out. The valuation office will no longer handle appeals about RV. We do not use council tax bands or business rates. If you would like to be billed on how much water you actually use, you can apply for a free meter.
  • How can I pay lower sewerage charges?
  • For most customers, the rain that falls onto the roof, yard and other parts of their property drains into the public sewers. The cost of removing this rainwater is included in the sewerage charges on your bill. But there are some properties where water does not drain to the public sewer, for example if it drains into a septic tank or soak-away, and so you may be able to get a reduction in your bill.
  • If you are able to show that no water from your property drains to the public sewer (directly or indirectly), you can pay a lower sewerage charge. If surface water (such as rainwater) from any part of your property drains to the public sewer, then you must pay full charges.
  • If you believe that you are due a reduction in your charges and would like to make a claim for a reduction, please view the surface water drainage booklet/application form on the right of this page. This is provided by Severn Trent Water, as the sewerage and drainage services within our supply area are the responsibility of Severn Trent.
  • Why has the bill for my home gone up this year?
  • Unlike most businesses, water charges are subject to formal review (by our regulator, Ofwat). For 2010-11, Ofwat has set the increase at 1.5% above the rate of inflation, which is 0.3%.
  • Each year we spend around £27m maintaining and improving our existing supply network and infrastructure and investing in new services and technology to reduce leaks and ensure you receive a constant supply of high quality water as well as making further improvements to our customer service.

If you have any questions about these charges, please call the customer services team on 0845 60 70 456.

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