Struggling with high water bills? How to get social tariffs and discounts in England & Wales
But it’s worth checking that you’re not paying too much for it, says Paul Lewis...
If you pay your water bills every six months – as many people do in England and Wales – then the second bill will have dropped through your letterbox recently. It’s the final instalment of the record-breaking bills announced earlier this year that rose, on average, by 26% in England and Wales.
If you will struggle to pay it, then you should enquire about social tariffs. They give a discounted rate to people on limited incomes. Every water company must provide one, but each of the 21 suppliers has its own name for the scheme and its own rules about who is eligible and how much reduction they offer. Some accept people on particular benefits but others set their own income test.
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The reduced tariff can be between 15% and 85% off your bill, and some cap your charge at a fixed maximum. Any supplier should link to the right information if you search ‘social tariffs’ on their website, or call them and ask. There have been campaigns from charities and the Consumer Council for Water for the Government to impose one consistent set of social tariff rules on them all, but so far that has not happened.
If you’re not eligible for a social tariff then consider a water meter. Count the number of bedrooms and the number of people in your home. If the numbers are the same or if there are more bedrooms than people a meter will probably save you money. For a more detailed calculation, use the water meter calculator on the Consumer Council website ccw.org.uk. If you are on a meter already and on benefits, and there are disabled people or a lot of children in the household, ask about the WaterSure scheme, which can cut your metered bill.
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Many homes cannot have a water meter fitted, but if so they can ask for an ‘assessed charge’, which aligns the bill with the average paid by similar households in the area. For those who live alone, all suppliers have a ‘fixed single occupier tariff ’, which will mean cheaper bills. In Scotland the rules are different: contact Scottish Water about its Reduction Scheme. In Northern Ireland domestic customers do not pay for their water.
Visit Citizensadvice.org.uk and turn2us.org.uk for more details.