Many of you will soon receive your new water bill, and you will likely have some questions. 

In this blog, we’ll explain what your bill means, how it is calculated, where your money goes and what you could do to bring down your bill.

What does my bill cover?

Your water bill essentially covers the water that goes in and out of your home, and the price of your bill is split into clean water charges and wastewater charges. 

As a water-only company, we charge you for the safe, reliable and high-quality water that comes into your homes and out of your taps.

Anglian Water is your wastewater supplier, and they charge you for any water that goes down the plughole or is flushed down the loo. They also charge you for surface water that drains from your property into their sewers.

Your bill also includes a standing charge to cover the cost of billing and administration.

You receive one bill from us, including Anglian Water’s charges, to make it easier for you.

How is my bill calculated?

The way we bill you depends on whether you have a water meter or not.

If you have a water meter, you only pay for the water you use. If you don’t have a water meter, your bill is worked out using the rateable value of your property.

Your bill is calculated using our charges. These change each year on 1 April.

• Metered charges explained
• Unmetered charges explained

Where does the money from my bill go?

Your bill helps keep your water flowing.

40% of your bill covers daily operations like treatment and pumping, while the rest goes towards upgrades and delivering things that matter to our customers, such as reducing leakage.

Whilst you will have noticed an increase in your bill, we have kept our charges as one of the lowest in the sector, as we recognise the balance we need to uphold to keep bills affordable whilst re-investing in improvements to the water network that will help our customers today and future generations.

Over the next five years, we will be:

• reduce leakage – we will invest £60 million to replace ageing pipes, most at risk of leaking or bursting.
• uphold high water quality - we will spend £145 million to improve and maintain water treatment plants and pumping stations.
• support more customers – £64 million will be spent to provide help when and where it's needed most, including those on our Priority Services Register who may need help in an emergency.
• maintain a reliable water supply, 24/7 – £390 million will go towards keeping water flowing to your home and to businesses across the region.
• protect the environment – we will reduce the impact we have on the environment, spending £43 million to significantly reduce water waste and support sustainability projects.

What can I do to bring down my bill?

Many of our customers find that switching to a water meter reduces their costs, particularly if they use less water or live alone.

By having a meter, you will only be charged for the water you use, and you can monitor your readings.

Simple changes like reducing your water waste and using efficient appliances can significantly reduce your bill.

If you have a meter and you have an unusually high reading, then this may indicate you have a leak. By fixing this leak, you reduce water waste and high charges.