How we calculate your bill

Here you'll find information about our charges for the year 2022-23 (1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023) and 2023-24 (1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024).

How we calculate your bill

We recognise it’s not always easy to get your head around how any utility company works out what you owe. It can be complicated. Here, you’ll find a simpler breakdown of our charges for water, wastewater (that’s all the dirty water we take away from your homes and properties) and sometimes other services.

How charges are worked out

Water regulator Ofwat sets a ceiling on the amount of money any water company can make. Within this context, we review our charges every year and have these approved by our non-executive board as part of our governance process.

We charge you based on your meter reading, which tells us how much water you’ve used and dirty water we’ll need to take away (most of you have a meter these days).

Take a look at how much water the average household uses to get an idea of what to expect from your bill.

Charges for metered properties

Water meters record the amount of water you’ve used. In the table below, you’ll see how we charge per cubic metre. One cubic metre is a thousand litres, or put simply, it’s about the amount you’d use if you took 11 baths, or 31 showers (each lasting four minutes), or flushed the loo 166 times (using the large button).

Service	Annual standing charge 22/23*	Charge £ per cubic metre 22/23	Annual standing charge 23/24*	Charge £ per cubic metre 23/24
Water supply	£18.81	£1.550	£20.96	£1.716
Wastewater	£21.11	£1.976	£24.21	£2.176
Surface water drainage	£20.88**		£23.00**
Highway drainage	£10.44		£11.50

22/23 - Charges for the year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2022.
23/24 - Charges for the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

* For normal domestic meters

** In certain circumstances a surface water rebate is available.

Other charging methods

When you don’t have a water meter (you can apply for a water meter), you’ll be charged in one of the following ways:

Assessed bills: based on the number of bedrooms at your property, or whether someone is a sole occupant. See table below
Unmetered bills: based on the rateable value of your home, as set at 31 March 1990 (this measure is set by a branch of the government and is broadly based on how much your property would fetch in rent over the period of a year). See table below
A fixed annual fee: if your home doesn't have a rateable value and you're not on an assessed charge.

Charges for assessed properties

Number of bedrooms	Water charges for year 22/23	Sewerage charges for year 22/23*	Water charges for year 23/24	Sewerage charges for year 23/24**
Single occupier	£114.37	£164.87	£126.93	£182.49
1 bedroom	£145.36	£200.44	£161.25	£221.66
2 bedrooms	£176.36	£237.99	£195.57	£263.00
3 bedrooms	£199.60	£265.66	£221.31	£293.47
4 bedrooms	£207.35	£273.57	£229.89	£302.17
5 bedrooms	£218.20	£287.40	£241.90	£317.40

* If you receive a surface water rebate deduct £20.88
** If you receive a surface water rebate deduct £23.00

Charges for unmetered properties

Service	Annual standing charge 22/23	Charge per £ of rateable value 22/23	Minimum charge 22/23	Annual standing charge 23/24	Charge per £ of rateable value 23/24	Minimum charge 23/24
Water supply	£15.20	£0.973	£75.63	£17.11	£1.078	£84.04
Wastewater	£16.96	£1.195	£101.64	£19.61	£1.316	£112.87
Surface water drainage	£20.88**			£23.00**
Highway drainage	£10.44			£11.50