Our charges
We know rising costs aren’t easy for many of us. That’s why we want to be clear and upfront about why our charges are rising and how we can help if you need support.
Our new charges will start on 1 April 2026 and apply to all customers in our supply area. The increase will help us make the biggest upgrade to our network in 150 years. This includes fixing leaks, replacing old pipes, cutting pollution, and protecting the environment.
A typical water and wastewater customer will, on average, pay an extra £2 per month in 2026-27. But your bill may vary depending on the services you receive from us and whether you have a water meter.
View what our price increase means for you:
Unmetered customers
If you don’t have a water meter, your 2026-27 bill will arrive between February and March.
Your bill is likely to increase, but the exact change depends on the rateable value of your property. For assessed household charges, your bill is based on the number of bedrooms you have or if you live alone.
Metered customers
If you have a water meter, you’ll start seeing changes to your bill from April 2026 onwards.
How much your total bill comes to will still vary depending on the amount of water you use day-to-day.
Metered customers paying by payment plan
If you're a metered customer and pay your bill by instalments, your payments may go up.
This can be for several reasons. We’ve created a guide and a video to help you understand regular payments.
Why prices are increasing
We’re investing more money to improve your service. We know we have work to do to meet the standards you expect. This is why we’re making our biggest investment ever - a record £20 billion, more than double what we invested from 2020 to 2025.
This upgrade will help us:
- Replace hundreds of miles of ageing, leaky pipes
- Install over one million smart meters
- Upgrade sewer systems to reduce pollution
We’ve listened to your feedback, and this investment will help us deliver the reliable, sustainable water service you deserve.
How we spend every £1
We make sure your money goes where it matters:
55p on our infrastructure
We invest over half of every £1 to strengthen our water and wastewater services.
37p on services
Our day-to-day running costs, like energy bills, government rates, salaries, help us keep your water flowing.
8p on financing
We borrow money to invest in our pipes and underground systems and pay interest on the amount we borrow.
Zero dividends
We haven’t paid any dividends to shareholders since 2017. Instead, we invest as much as possible to improve your service.
Help paying your bill
View the different ways you can pay your bill and the financial support options available to you.
Get financial support
If you’re struggling to pay your bill, we have a range of financial support options available to help.
Set up a payment plan
We can break your bill down into more manageable payments with a payment plan.
Apply for a water meter
A water meter, if possible to fit, could help you track and pay for exactly how much water you use.
Frequently asked charges questions
Visit our frequently asked questions page for more information on changes to our charges.
We made it count in 2025
Last year, your money made a difference and helped:
- Reduce leakage by more than13%*
- Bring down water outages by15%**
- Cut serious pollution incidents by18%***
* Compared to 2019-20 leakage performance.
** Figures based on our 2024-25 annual report.
*** As of November 2025.