How your water rates are calculated
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Water rates in England & Wales
There are two ways that water companies can calculate your water bill:
- Unmeasured
- This is a set amount that you pay for your water and sewerage service, regardless of how much you use, based on the rateable value (RV) of your home.
- Measured
- This charges you for the number of units of water you actually use, based on readings taken from a meter.
Water rates in Scotland
There are two ways that water companies can calculate your water bill:
- Unmeasured
- This is based on the council tax band of your property.
- Measured
- This charges you for the number of units of water you actually use, based on readings taken from a meter.
Water rates in Northern Ireland
Domestic customers do not currently have to pay directly for water and sewerage services. However the Government recently announced plans to consider introducing domestic water charges.
Water rates and RV rates
A "rateable value" is a measure of the deemed value of a property. RVs were originally a way of assessing the value of local property rates before Council Tax was introduced. Today RVs are only used for calculating unmeasured water bills, as the setting of RVs was discontinued in 1990 with the introduction of the Community Charge. This means that people living in properties built since this date will not have a RV for their home.
Fresh water and waste water
Water rates vary between suppliers. And there is a difference between metered and unmetered charges. To make things even more complicated, some customers receive two bills from different companies for water and sewerage charges. If this applies to you, you’ll need to obtain the relevant tariff from each company for each service.
How can I save on my water rates?
uSwitch.com removes the hassle of switching to a meter. By entering a few details into our online water bill comparison service you will see how much you could save by switching to a meter from your water company. Once you decide to switch uSwitch.com will do the first step for you.
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