Smart Water Saver scheme
Rewarding businesses for saving water during drought
Our Smart Water Saver scheme rewards businesses for reducing water use during the current period of exceptionally dry weather. It's an opportunity to save water, protect water supplies and the environment, while saving money.
Use less water between 14 September 2026 and 13 January 2027, and you could earn a bill credit while helping to protect local water resources.
The scheme is part of our wider drought management plan to encourage water efficiency and help reduce the need for further drought restrictions.
How the scheme works
If your business reduces its water use by 10% or more during the scheme period compared with the same period last year, you'll receive a bill credit equal to the percentage you save.
Bill credits are capped at 50%.
For example, if your business reduces its water use by 20%, you could receive a 20% bill credit based on your qualifying wholesale water charges during the scheme period.
Any bill credit is calculated using the wholesale water element of your bill only.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for the scheme, your premises must:
- Be supplied by Thames Water for water
- Have an operational smart water meter
- Have had the smart meter installed on or before 14 September 2025
- Remain active and registered throughout the scheme period
- Achieve a minimum 10% reduction in water consumption
Premises that become vacant, leave the market, or receive other allowances during the scheme period will not qualify.
Receiving your bill credit
Once the scheme ends, we'll use smart meter data to calculate any eligible water savings.
If you've qualified for a bill credit, it'll be applied to your account through your water retailer.
We expect eligible bill credits to be issued during February 2027.
How to sign up
All eligible business customers are automatically enrolled. There are no application forms to complete or meter readings to submit. We'll use data from your smart meter to assess your eligibility and calculate any bill credit automatically.
Protecting water resources during the drought
Our region, along with the rest of the South East, has experienced a prolonged period of exceptionally dry weather. While recent rainfall has been welcome, it'll take sustained rainfall over many months for water resources to recover fully.
Reducing water use now can help to:
- Protect reservoirs, groundwater, rivers and wildlife
- Support essential water supplies
- Reduce pressure on the water network
- Minimise the need for additional drought measures
- Help businesses become more water-efficient
Frequently asked questions
For more details of the scheme, contact your retailer.