What this guide covers
Your water bill
We send out your bill in February or March, and this can be paid in two instalments. The first instalment is payable by 1 April and the second by 1 October. You can also choose to pay in eight monthly instalments between April and November, or we can agree a longer period if necessary. If you do this, you can choose which day of the month to pay.
You can contact us using WhatsApp, or you can call our Customer Care Billing Contact Centre for more information or to set up a payment plan.
As an unmetered customer, your bill is calculated based on the Rateable Value (RV) of your property. The values were assessed and changed by the Valuation Office of the Inland Revenue and were loosely based on the annual rental value of a property. The rateable values we use now were assessed any time between 1973 and 1990. Several factors were taken into account by the Valuation Office when assessing the potential annual rental value. These included the size of the property and plot, area, general condition, and availability of local services. We have no details of how individual values were calculated and cannot tell customers why similar properties in the same street have slightly different values. We only have details of the final RV figure, and this varies from property to property so your RV could be different to your neighbours’.
We’re unable to amend any existing RV charges, and we currently do not offer an alternative billing charge; however, you may wish to try and save on your water bill by having a meter fitted.
However, if your property has had a change of use, the RV might not be appropriate anymore, and so we may need to make a change to your basis of charge. We’ll normally calculate the annual charges as follows:
- For water supply, by multiplying the RV of the premises by a rate per pound of RV, subject to a minimum charge.
- For sewerage services, by multiplying the RV of the premises by a rate per pound based on the services that the property receives or benefits from (surface water drainage, highways drainage and foul sewage).
For more details, see our Charges Scheme. If you don’t use much water, opting for a free water meter could mean cheaper bills as you’ll only pay for the water you use (clean and used), surface water drainage and a small standing charge. You may also benefit if your household or property only has a few occupiers, a high RV or uses water-saving methods and appliances. Please see section 4 for more information on meter installation.
We aim to read your meter and send your bills every six months. At least one of your bills within a year will be based on an actual meter reading, and they need to be paid when you receive them. You can set up a payment arrangement for this, which is detailed in section 3 of this document. You can also choose to submit your own meter readings more frequently; you can do this on our website, or you can contact us through any of our contact channels. All of our contact details are on the final page of this document.
Metered charges are made up of three elements: water supply, used water, surface water and highway drainage. Water supply and used water charges are based on the volume of water used. This is measured in cubic meters (m3); 1 m3 is equal to 220 gallons or 1000 litres of water. The amount used is calculated as the difference between two meter readings.
Surface water and highway drainage charges are levied for the removal and treatment of surface water or rainwater from the property and the water that drains from public roads into our sewer network. Charges are based either on the Rateable Value of the property or on property type – flat/terrace, semi-detached or detached.
If you don’t think that surface or rainwater drains into our systems from your property, you should call us on 03457 500 500 so we can arrange a visit to assess your charges.
If our assessment confirms that you aren’t connected to our sewers, we will normally backdate your charges to 1 April 2014, or the date that you occupied the property if later. We don’t charge interest; therefore, any refunds we give you will not include interest charges
Assessed volume charges apply in the following circumstances:
- Where there is no longer an appropriate Rateable Value for the property (for example, where it has been substantially altered).
- Where you or a previous occupier has requested a meter but we couldn’t install one because it wasn’t practical or it would have involved unreasonable expense, and either you or the previous occupier opted to pay assessed volume charges instead of unmetered charges.
- Where, following several visits and written requests, we have still been unable to gain access to install, read or maintain our meter.
For household properties, these charges are based on an average of all metered customers in a similar property type (detached, semi-detached or other) or based on an assessment of the water used by a single occupier and are a set charge for the year. For non-household properties, the charge is based on our assessment of the volume of water used. T
he billing cycle is the same as for metered customers, and you are billed in arrears. We send out your bill in April, and this can be paid in two instalments or twelve monthly instalments between April and November.
Details of our current charges can be found in our Charges Scheme.
If you’re moving house, you can let us know up to 28 days in advance by contacting us either via our website or by calling our Customer Care Billing Contact Centre.
If you’re a metered customer and you would like us to take a final meter reading, then you need to let us know up to 5 working days in advance of your move date so this can be arranged.
Alternatively, you can provide the final meter reading on the date of your move. If we can’t visit or you don’t provide a final meter reading, we will estimate your usage based on your average usage.
We are here to help you, and we want you to understand your bill and be confident that you are being billed correctly. We’ll look into any issue, complaint or dispute you have, and we’ll follow the process detailed within our Complaints Procedure in our Guaranteed Standards Scheme guide on our website. Whilst we’re investigating your dispute, we won’t take any further action.
If the bill is for someone who lived in your property before you did, or if someone else was responsible for paying the bill for some of the time the bill covers, contact us as soon as you get the bill. If your bill is addressed to ‘the occupier’, please let us know so that we can update the details and sort out any issues. We might ask for proof of the date you moved into the property so that we can update our records.
If you’re on a water meter, we can provide a guide full of easy water-saving tips which show that you do not need to make big changes to save a lot of water. Visit our website to view tips on how to save water, or you can contact us; all of our contact details are on the last page of this document.
If you are not on a water meter, and you want to check if having one installed will help reduce your bill, you can check CCWater’s water meter calculator to see if you are better off.
If you live in rented accommodation, it’s not always easy to understand who is legally responsible for the bill. Our water charges are usually payable by the person who lives in the property and uses the water unless you have a specific documented agreement with your landlord, which you can provide proof of.
Unless your landlord has entered into an agreement with us accepting responsibility for our charges, this means that you, as the occupier, have to pay the bill. If you have any problems or if your bill is for a previous tenant, please contact us straight away – we can only help you if we know.
As a landlord, you are responsible for keeping us updated with information about your properties. You can do this by accessing our secure and easy-to-use Landlord TAP.
If the property is empty between tenants, but the water supply is needed for any purpose, including heating, renovating, or using the taps or toilet when visiting, then you will be required to pay for this service.
We share information with Credit Reference Agencies on a monthly basis to help us manage our customer accounts as efficiently as possible and keep our records up to date. This will help with fraud prevention and may improve your credit rating. If you do not pay your bill, and you’ve not contacted us to make us aware you are struggling, we may also register a default against you with the Credit Reference Agencies for nonpayment; this means your data will be shared with the Credit Reference Agencies, which may negatively impact your credit rating (see What will happen if I don’t pay).
Help with paying your bill
We know that sometimes it’s difficult to pay your bills. If you ever need a helping hand, our financial support schemes can offer you the help you might need.
We have several schemes that can help you if you’re struggling to pay your bill, whatever your circumstances. From setting up regular, manageable payments to reducing your bill to an amount you can afford if you’re on a low income, we’re here to help. Our schemes are below.
A water meter measures the amount of water you use, so you will only pay for what you're using. It can also help save water - many customers find that their bills are cheaper after switching to a water meter as they make a conscious effort to use less once they have a meter fitted, meaning it’s a benefit for both your pocket and the environment. Using less water means less needs to be heated, so it can also save on your energy bills and reduce the carbon footprint.
You can trial a water meter, and if you feel like it isn’t right for you during that time, you can switch back to unmetered billing. You must do this within 12 months of your meter being installed, or within 30 days of your fourth bill. If you have switched back, the meter will not be removed from the property.
If you’d like to see if having a meter may benefit you and save you money, you can check the CCW calculator.
Watersure can help if your income is low and you use a lot of water. You must be on a water meter to be eligible for this scheme. If you meet the criteria and use our sewerage and water services, we’ll make sure your bill is capped. This is a government-funded scheme, and we are unable to deviate from the eligibility criteria below.
Your bill is capped at our average yearly charge, which will change each year. To find out what this year’s charges are, you can view our Scheme of Charges, which is on our website. All of our contact details are on the last page of this document. If your meter reading is lower than the capped amount, you will only pay for the water you have used.
You may be eligible for support through WaterSure if you or anyone in your household receives the following:
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit (other than the basic element of £547.50)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment
You or somebody in your household must also have a medical condition requiring an increased use of water.
Eligible medical conditions: You may be eligible for WaterSure if anyone in your household has a medical condition requiring significant water use.
Those conditions could include:
- Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
- Weeping skin disease (eczema, psoriasis, varicose ulceration)
- Incontinence
- Abdominal stoma
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Renal failure requiring home dialysis.
Any condition that a doctor confirms requires extra water use would be eligible.
Subject to your income, this scheme could save you between 10%-90% on your bill. The scheme is open to every Severn Trent customer, regardless of your age, employment status, or whether you receive benefits or not. You don’t need to be behind on your bills or on benefits to apply, and eligibility is based on an assessment of your overall household income.
The scheme runs for 12 months at a time, and you will have to re-apply at the end of each year-long period.
The Big Difference Scheme is administered by the Severn Trent Trust Fund and is funded by using a cross-subsidy system to help reduce the bills of those struggling to pay the most; this has been established through customer research.
There are several ways you can apply for the Big Difference Scheme. You can contact us through any of our contact channels; all of our contact information is on the last page of this document, or you can apply directly through the Severn Trent Trust Fund; their details are in the point below.
Alternatively, you can apply directly through the Big Difference Scheme website bigdiff.co.uk.
When you apply, you will need to share income details for every adult in your household, either:
- Payslip(s) if employed, or
- Benefits statement if you receive any benefits.
The Big Difference Scheme is one of our payment assistance schemes that is reported to Credit Reference Agencies; you can find out more information on this in our policy.
We offer a wide range of payment options and frequencies. You can pay by Card, Direct Debit, Watercard or through your state benefits.
Pay online
- Online credit or debit card payment – this is a quick, simple, and secure method. You can quickly make a card payment using your online account. You can register for an online account if you haven’t already got one, or you can make a card payment as a guest.
Pay automatically
- Pay by Direct Debit – you can pay by Direct Debit quickly and easily. This is the most convenient way to make sure your bill is always paid in full and on time. You can choose the date, frequency and discuss the amount you pay with us; this ensures your payment is sent to us each time without you having to worry about it.
- Pay by Standing Order – you can set up and manage your payments using your bank’s telephone, online, or remote banking services, once you’ve set up your Standing Order you must contact us to let us know your chosen payment date, frequency and payment amount, we’ll then set up a payment plan on your account to match what you’ve set up with your bank, this will stop any further reminders or debt recovery taking place on your account. You must ensure you quote your Severn Trent Water account number as the payment reference so these payments can be applied to your account without delays.
Pay in Person
- Pay at a PayPoint store – you can pay using a Watercard at your nearest PayPoint store. You can also pay at a PayPoint store using a payment booklet or using the barcode on the giro slip at the bottom of your bill.
- Pay at your bank – if you prefer to pay over the counter at your bank or building society, do not forget to take your bill with you. This service is free at most banks; however, we recommend you always check first.
- Pay at the Post Office – you can take your bill, along with your preferred payment method of either cash or card, to any Post Office to make a payment. Please be aware the Post Office may charge you for this service.
Pay by post or phone
- Pay by Post – if you receive paper bills, your bill will arrive with a payment slip attached where you can fill this out and write a cheque for this amount.
- Pay by Phone - you can make regular or one-off payments over the phone by Debit or Credit card when you call us on 03457 500 500.
If you have individual needs and find it hard to use our payment methods, please let us know, and we’ll try to find an arrangement that works for both of us.
If you're experiencing transient financial hardship, please get in touch with us, and we may be able to offer a temporary payment break for 28 days to give you some time to review your circumstances.
If you receive certain benefits from the Government, you may be able to pay your water bill through Water Direct, straight from your benefits payment.
If you have arrears of at least £50 on your account and you or anyone in your household receives any of the following State benefits, you may be eligible to have payments deducted directly from your benefits:
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit.
The Water Direct scheme gives you peace of mind, knowing that your water bill is taken care of and you can use the money in your account for something other than paying bills.
If you’re eligible for the Water Direct scheme and your application to the scheme is successful, the Department for Work and Pensions will deduct an amount from your benefits payment and use that to credit your Severn Trent account.
Water Direct is one of the schemes that is reported to Credit Reference Agencies; you can find out more information on this in our policy, which can be found in our policy.
If you live on your own and we’ve been unable to successfully fit a water meter at your property in the last 12 months, you could be eligible for a lower tariff.
If you rent your home and your landlord has not agreed to let you install a water meter, you will not be eligible for the single occupier tariff.
Switching to the single occupancy tariff
You don’t need to apply for the single occupancy tariff. You’ll be automatically switched to the single occupier tariff from the date we were unable to fit the meter at your home.
We are unable to backdate the single occupancy tariff charge. We’re only able to begin billing you by that tariff from the date we tried to fit the meter.
Water is wonderful, and we want everyone to enjoy it – both now and into the future. To help make sure it’s readily available to generations to come, we’re providing free home water efficiency checks around Nottingham. If you’re in this area, you can book now by visiting Save Water Save Money.
If you’re in another area and are interested in getting your home checked, you can also request a call back on the link above too.
If any of these schemes could be of any help to you, you can contact us through any of our contact channels.
Citizens Advice
You can contact your local Citizens Advice, which is an independent charity that gives free, confidential, independent and impartial advice on a wide range of problems. Expert advisers can help you to sort out your debts. If you have other problems, such as illness, redundancy or divorce, the adviser may also be able to help you, or they may tell you where you can get help.
Citizens Advice can check if you are entitled to any extra income and can also help you work out and negotiate repayment plans with the people you owe money to. The repayment plans will be based on what you can realistically afford to pay after your essential living costs have been met. On your first visit, please take all the relevant details of your income and how much you spend.
The CA will contact us by a dedicated helpline to discuss a suitable payment arrangement on your behalf. To find your nearest Citizens Advice, look in your local phone book, enquire at your local library or visit citizensadvice.org.uk.
StepChange Debt Charity
StepChange Debt Charity is a registered charity, dedicated to providing confidential, free counselling and money management assistance to financially distressed families and individuals. They offer a wide range of services, including welfare benefit checks, mortgage counselling, self-employed assistance and bankruptcy services.
They offer free, confidential and impartial advice available over the phone (Freephone 8 am-8 pm) or through their website. They can help you prioritise your debts and set up structured repayment plans with the option of making one monthly payment.
For free counselling and money assistance, please contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111 or visit stepchange.org.
If you don’t pay your bill, or don’t keep to a payment arrangement that we have agreed with you, we’ll take the following steps to recover the debt:
Step 1
We’ll send you a minimum of two written notices and attempt to call you to advise you of the debt. How quickly we do this will depend on whether you’ve kept up with payments in the past. We may also carry out a search with an external agency to obtain up-to-date information to help manage your account.
Step 2
If you still don’t pay and you haven’t contacted us to reach an agreement to pay, you may be sent a warning letter notifying you of our intention to file a default with the Credit Reference Agencies. If you don’t pay the amount owed or contact us for assistance, we may register a default against you.
Every person has a credit file that companies look at before deciding whether or not to provide credit services to them. If a default is registered against you, it will remain on your credit file for six years whether settled or outstanding and may affect your ability to obtain credit in the future.
For more information about credit and how to contact the credit reference agencies, you can visit the Information Commissioners’ Office website.
You can also view our reporting to credit reference agencies policy.
Step 3
If you still don’t pay and you haven’t contacted us to reach an agreement to pay, we may ask the County Court to issue a claim against you for the debt. This means that legal costs (a minimum of £65) may be added to the amount you already owe us. We may seek to recover interest on this debt through the County Court, at a rate of 8% from the date that the charges were originally due for payment up to the date upon which any judgment is given.
Step 4
If you don’t keep to the arrangement to pay as ordered by the court, we will take steps to recover the amount you owe. We may:
- Ask the court to order you to attend your local court to give information about your finances.
- Take a deduction from your income. The court will contact your employer to arrange deductions.
- Issue a warrant instructing a bailiff to enter your property and take your goods.
- Make a charge on your property if you own your home. This will mean we’ll advise the mortgage lender of the debt and could force you to sell your property.
- Refer your debt to the High Court; this could mean bailiffs could attend your property to discuss repayment of the debt.
Yes, we may decide to use debt collection agencies at any stage in the debt recovery process. If we refer your account to a debt collection agency, working on our behalf, to determine your circumstances and/or collect the outstanding charges, a fee of £39 may be applied by the debt collection agency to compensate us for costs incurred in collecting outstanding charges; this fee will not show on your account with us. If you wish to set up a repayment plan, you will need to contact the debt collection agency to discuss your circumstances with them. We will not be able to set up a payment plan if your account has been referred to a debt collection agency.
Any agents we use are subject to our standards of service and behaviour, as set out in our Customer Promise guide, which is on our website. Our agents are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Handbook, and they operate a Code of Practice set by the Credit Services Association. If you have a complaint about our agents, you should contact us directly.
Where we have exhausted all options available to us for collection of your debt, and we have received no contact or payment from you, the arrears on your account may be sold to a debt collection agency/third party. After this time, we will no longer be able to discuss the debt with you. You will be contacted by the debt collection agency to recover the amount you owe.
Bailiffs are employed by the County Court and keep to the County Court standards and procedures. If you have a complaint about the Bailiffs, please contact your local County Court.
Metering your water supply
A lot of customers benefit by having their bills based on the actual volume of water they use. For instance, if you live in a house with a high Rateable Value (RV), your unmetered charges will be relatively high. If only a couple of you live there or if you use less than the average amount of water, you could reduce your water bills. Please note that you’ll be charged for billing and reading the meter through the standing charge. We can offer you advice to help you decide if a meter is the best option for you.
If you want a meter, we’ll supply and fit one for free, provided that it is reasonable, practical and not unreasonably expensive. You can apply for a water meter on our website stwater.co.uk, or you can contact our metering team on 03457 090 646 for more information. We’ll carry out a survey and fit a meter, wherever practicable, within 90 days of the application. We’ll start charging you for using your meter as soon as we’ve fitted it. If you’ve been paying unmetered charges in the meantime, then we’ll adjust your charges, taking it off your metered charge if you’ve paid too much.
If you are thinking about switching to a water meter, the CCW Water Meter calculator can help you to see if you might be able to save money. CCWater are the voice for water customers, and they can review any issues that affect your interests as a water customer. They offer free, independent advice on issues that affect you as a water customer. You can find the Water Meter Calculator.
You’re entitled to go back to an unmetered charge if you tell us that you want to. You must do this within 12 months of your meter being installed, or within 30 days of your fourth bill. If you paid for your meter to be installed before 1 April 2001, you may be able to revert to an unmetered charge.
At least one of your bills within a year will be based on an actual meter reading so that you can work out how much water you’ve used and whether the meter has benefitted you or not. If you are unsure, we will be happy to help you; you can contact us; all of our contact details are on the last page of this document.
If you’ve purchased a property that already had a water meter installed, you will not be able to move the meter or revert back to Rateable Value charges.
If you use a garden sprinkler or other automatic garden watering devices, you must have a meter fitted. This is because these devices can use more water in an hour than a family of four does in two days. Plus, if you use a sprinkler during hot, dry weather, demand can soar and affect supplies to other customers. This also applies if you have a swimming pool or a pond with over 10,000 litres capacity. In nearly all circumstances we’ll fit the meter for free.
If any of this applies to you (or if you aren’t sure) and you don’t have a meter, contact us.
In legal terms, the water meter is our property, and you mustn’t remove it or instruct anyone to remove it for you (e.g. a plumber) under any circumstances. This is because it’s a contravention of the Water Act (as stated in section 175 of the Water Industry Act 1991) and can be a criminal offence to interfere with, wilfully damage or remove the meter. If you’re convicted of doing any of these things, you could face a large fine. If you do remove the meter and refuse to have it refitted, we can fit an external meter at your property. If we have to do this, you would be liable for the cost.
The meter shouldn’t be obstructed or boxed in, as this may prevent us from being able to take a reading or carry out any maintenance work. If this happens, we may have to remove or cut away the boxing so that a meter reading can be taken.
Government regulations permit us to try to install the meter in two locations: internal or external.
- Outside your property next to the stop tap, near the property boundary. This is usually inside the boundary box and is our preferred option. If this isn’t possible, we will arrange a further survey to see where else we can possibly install the meter outside of the property; this may require a dig outside of the property.
- Inside your property, with a radio-read facility.
If you disagree with the proposed location of the water meter on the arrival of our metering contractor, you must pay for the extra costs of installation caused by the new location. An estimate of the extra costs will be confirmed with you in writing and agreed before any work has started.
If your property is more than 50 metres from our main, then we must install the meter at the start of your supply pipe. This is usually at the highway boundary. We cannot install a meter if the property is over 50 meters away from our main.
You have the right to appeal to Ofwat if you’re unhappy about where the meter is fitted. Ofwat is the economic regulator of the industry whose statutory duties include protecting customers’ interests. Ofwat has the power to restrict the increases we can make in our water and sewerage charges, set the levels of service we must provide & stipulate the information we must give to you. Visit www.ofwat.gov.uk for details.
If you want to have your meter moved, please contact us and we’ll arrange for someone to visit you and carry out a survey.
If you decide to go ahead with having the meter moved, you’ll be charged for the cost of moving it unless you have specific special needs or need special assistance. We’ll confirm any costs associated with moving the meter before we do the work.
Your meter is approved for accuracy by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, as well as the manufacturer, before it leaves the factory.
Our metering contractors will show you how to read the meter when we install it.
You can ask us to test your meter if you think it might be inaccurate. The meter will be replaced and sent back to our contractors for testing on specially calibrated equipment by an independent measuring company to confirm the meter’s accuracy.
If it’s confirmed to be inaccurate, we won’t charge you for the test.
If the independent checkers find that the meter is accurate, you will be charged for the test. The tests and costs vary by size and type of the meter and will be confirmed to you.
If the meter has over-recorded, we’ll refund you the amount we estimate has been overcharged on your latest bill.
If the meter has under-recorded, we won’t claim anything back from you.
Test records in recent years show that no meters have failed for being inaccurate by over-recording. They have been within accuracy limits or have failed for under-recording.
Very occasionally we may decide to test your meter if we think it might be necessary. We’ll pay for this test and inform you of any outcome if the meter is not accurate.
You’ll pay for your water and sewerage services based on how much water passes through the meter, as well as standing charges for billing and reading the meter and a charge for surface water and highway drainage. You’ll receive a bill every six months. We’re required by our regulator, Ofwat, to base at least one of the two bills that you receive in a year on an actual reading. The other may use an estimate based on how much water you’ve used previously.
Please refer to Your Water Bill for more information on how to pay your bill.
If you receive a bill based on an estimated reading, you can take a meter reading yourself and tell us what the actual reading is. You can do this by reading the black digits (whole cubic metres) from left to right. Whichever meter you have, only the black digits correspond to the reading on your bill. This is because these are the only digits which record the whole cubic meters (m3 ) used. A cubic meter is 1,000 litres (around 220 gallons).
You can then tell us what the meter reading is through our website, or you can contact us; all of our contact details are on the last page of this document. We’ll then send you a new bill.
By doing this you can help stop future estimated readings from being too high or too low, which will make sure you don’t get a surprise when you receive a bill based on an actual meter reading. The picture shows you what the meter readings might look like.
It is important to ensure that you replace the meter cover correctly to avoid any trips or falls by either yourself or others. Faulty covers should be reported. You can contact us, or you can call us on 0800 783 4444 to let us know.
If we find a leak, we’ll tell you about it and support you in getting your pipework repaired. If you don’t repair the leak, then we can charge you for the extra water that is being used, and you won’t be eligible for any leakage allowances.
We strongly recommend that you read your meter regularly to make sure you don’t have any leaks. If you get a leak anywhere in the pipes on your side of the meter (within the property boundary), this can mean that you use more water and therefore get a higher bill. Please see our Water Code of Practice for more information on how to reduce leakage.
It's easy to reduce water use in the home and garden. You can use the following tips:
- Remember to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth for two minutes.
- Spend two minutes less in the shower.
- Fit a save-a-flush device to your toilet cistern.
- Wait until you have a full load before using the washing machine.
- Keep a jug of water in the fridge, so you don't have to run the tap to get a cold drink.
- Wash your vegetables in a bowl rather than under a running tap.
- Always remember to fix any dripping taps.
- Get a water butt for the garden.
- Water plants early morning or late evening to prevent evaporation when it's warm.
- Use a watering can instead of a sprinkler - it's more accurate.
- Use a bucket and sponge to wash the car - rather than a hosepipe.
- Check for leaks on the supply to your home on a regular basis.
- Think about fitting water-efficient products in your home to save water.
More information on reducing your water usage can be found on our website.
On 1st April 2017, the retail market opened for commercial customers in the UK.
Severn Trent no longer provides billing services to commercial customers, and you should contact your retailer directly if you have a meter query, even if your query relates to previous contact you’ve had with Severn Trent. We will be contacted directly by your retailer if they require any assistance from us.
If you do not know who your retailer is, you can visit the Open Water website where you’ll be able to find all the information about the retail market - www.open-water.org.uk.
Privacy notice
We’ll use the information we hold about you to manage your account. We may also use the information we have to contact you about other water-related goods and services. If you don’t want to be contacted, please let us know. Additionally, we may share with and obtain information about you from other utilities, local authorities, government departments, credit reference agencies and other companies for use in any credit decisions, fraud prevention and to pursue debtors.
If you give us personal data, you have understood and are aware of our full privacy notice and our handling of it for the purposes mentioned. We may transfer your personal data to other organisations in any country only for any of the purposes mentioned. Under the UK Data Protection Laws, you have the right to make a Data Subject Access Request, and details can be found here.
Complaints
We are here to help you. We’ll look into any issue, complaint or dispute you have, and we’ll follow the process detailed within our Complaints Procedure in our Guaranteed Standards Scheme guide on our website. Whilst we’re investigating your dispute, we won’t take any further action.
Request our full code of practice
If you would like to request a PDF version of our Your Water Bill Code of Practice, please contact our team, and we'd be happy to send one to you.