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Metered customers charges explained

How you are billed

Every six months, we’ll send you a bill that covers the supply of clean water and the treatment of wastewater. Your bill will show charges for every cubic meter (m3) of water that’s used.

One cubic meter equals:

  • 1,000 litres
  • 25 quick showers (estimated amount)
  • Charges of 191.45p for water and 115.37p for wastewater

Fixed charges

Once we’ve worked out your clean water and wastewater charges, we’ll add fixed charges. These fixed charges cover some of our essential running costs, like maintaining pipes and handling enquiries.

Water meters

Your bill will show how much water you used between the two most recent meter readings, or between a reading and an estimate. We recommend taking your own readings a few times a year.

For smart meter customers in London, we will regularly receive up to date electronic readings. New customers will receive their first bill within six months of moving in.

What an estimated bill means

We will send you an estimated bill if:

  • Your meter has not been read
  • We haven’t received a reading from you

If we have previous readings from you, your estimate will be based on the average amount of water you usually use. For no previous meter readings, this will be based on the average of homes with a similar number of people.

When we next receive a reading, we'll adjust your bill accordingly.

Submit a meter reading

Higher bill than usual

Your water usage could have increased which has caused your bill to be higher than usual. This might happen if:

  • There are now more people at your home / property
  • Due to the weather or renovating you are using more water
  • You are using appliances more often, like showers and washing machines

There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your water use.

We try to send metered bills every six months, but this can sometimes take longer, which results in slightly higher bills to adjust for the longer cover.

In 2024-25 on average, customers with water meters will see an increase of 12.4%. The exact change in your bill will depend on your circumstances.

Leaks in your home

Make sure you don’t have a dripping tap, leaky loo or other hidden leak that’s increasing your water use.

  • Check for a leak

Outstanding balances

If you didn’t pay your last bill in full, we might have carried over what you owe.

Financial support

Our financial support schemes are available to help you pay your bill if you are struggling.