Disputing a water bill overcharge and getting a refund
Water bills can be wrong for all sorts of reasons: estimated meter readings, an undetected leak, being charged for surface water or highway drainage you don't actually contribute to, the wrong tariff, or being billed as occupier for a property you've left. You can't switch water company, so the route to a refund is to challenge the bill directly and, if needed, escalate to the free Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and the independent WATRS adjudication scheme, whose decisions bind the company.
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You are entitled to be billed correctly for the water and sewerage services you actually receive. If you have a water meter, you can ask for it to be re-read or tested. Many companies operate a leakage allowance that can reduce a bill caused by a hidden leak you've now fixed. If you can show you don't drain surface water or highway water into the public sewer, you can ask for those drainage charges to be removed and backdated. If your water company won't put things right, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) can take up your complaint free of charge, and if it remains unresolved you can refer it to the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS), an independent adjudicator that is free to use and can make decisions binding on the company, including ordering refunds or compensation.
Step by step
- 1Gather evidence: your recent bills, the current meter reading (read the meter yourself), any leak repair invoices, and details such as whether rainwater from your property drains to a soakaway rather than the sewer.
- 2Raise a formal complaint with your water company. Explain exactly why the bill is too high, ask for the specific correction (re-read, meter test, leakage allowance, removal of surface water drainage charges, or a tariff change) and request a refund of any overpayment, backdated where appropriate.
- 3If the company rejects your complaint or doesn't resolve it, contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), the independent consumer body, which investigates water complaints free of charge and will take it up on your behalf.
- 4If CCW cannot resolve it, ask to refer the dispute to WATRS (the Water Redress Scheme). WATRS is free, independent and its decision is binding on the company if you accept it, so the company must pay any redress ordered.
What they'll say, and your comeback
“The bill is based on your actual meter reading, so it must be correct.”
Comeback, Please confirm the reading you used and the date. I'd like the meter re-read and, if necessary, tested. Meters can be misread, transposed or faulty, and I'm entitled to have the reading checked before paying a disputed amount.
“Surface water drainage charges apply to every property by default.”
Comeback, Surface water drainage charges only apply where rainwater from the property drains to the public sewer. The rainwater from mine drains to a soakaway/ground, not the sewer, so these charges should be removed and backdated to when they wrongly started.
“We don't give allowances for leaks.”
Comeback, Please send me your leakage allowance policy. Most water companies offer an allowance for a first hidden leak once it's been repaired. I've fixed the leak and have the repair invoice, so I'm asking for the allowance to be applied and my bill adjusted.
FAQ
Can I get the overcharge backdated, or only fixed going forward?
You can usually ask for a refund backdated to when the overcharging began, for example surface water drainage charges you should never have paid, or a misread that inflated several bills. Set out the period clearly. If the company won't backdate fairly, CCW and then WATRS can review it and order appropriate redress.
Do I have to pay the disputed bill while I challenge it?
Keep paying the part of the bill that isn't in dispute to avoid debt-recovery action, but make clear in writing that you are formally disputing the rest. If your dispute succeeds, any overpayment should be refunded or credited to your account.
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A self-serve tool, not a law firm. General information, not legal advice.