Severn Trent Water

Company Overview

What customers complain about

Complaint categories

1. 1
   Billing and account issues

   Disputes over bills, charges, metered bills and account handling are the single biggest source of water complaints, and Severn Trent is a large biller across the Midlands.

   CCW reports billing as the top complaint category across the water sector, accounting for around two-thirds of complaints made to companies and to CCW in 2024-25.
2. 2
   Affordability and rising bills

   Concern over the affordability of rising water bills features heavily in escalated complaints across the sector, including Severn Trent's region, following the 2025-30 price review.

   CCW reported affordability complaints up 110% and bill-increase complaints up 138% across the sector in 2024-25, and trust in water companies at a record low over bills.
3. 3
   Environmental performance (sewage and pollution)

   Complaints and enforcement over sewage spills and pollution are a recurring issue, an area where Severn Trent has faced Environment Agency prosecutions and an Ofwat breach finding despite a strong overall environmental rating.

   Ofwat found Severn Trent in breach of its wastewater duties in July 2026; the Environment Agency fined it £2m in 2024 and £1.5m in 2021 over illegal discharges.
4. 4
   Complaint handling and response times

   How quickly and how well Severn Trent handles complaints matters, and the Guaranteed Standards Scheme backs its response-time commitments with automatic payments.

   Severn Trent aims to reply to written complaints within 10 working days; a missed reply triggers an automatic £40 GSS payment in England.

Contact methods

• Bill and account complaints02477 716 585
• Water supply and wastewater problems0800 783 4444
• Our complaints processSevern Trent's official how-to-complain page setting out the three-stage process; calling is the route it flags as quickest, and written complaints may take up to 10 working days for a reply.
• Consumer Council for Water (CCW) - free consumer help0300 034 2222
• Dispute Resolution Ombudsman - binding decisionThe water sector's alternative dispute resolution provider, appointed via Water UK in 2026. Free to customers; use after your complaint is deadlocked and CCW has confirmed you can apply. Its decision is binding on Severn Trent if you accept it.

Complaint journey

1. 1

   Contact Severn Trent

   Report the problem to the right customer care team.

   Typical responseImmediate
   What happens

   Contact Severn Trent using the route for your issue: bill and account complaints on 02477 716 585, or water-supply and wastewater problems on 0800 783 4444 (24 hours). Severn Trent says calling is the quickest way to get an issue resolved. Quote your account number, property postcode and a clear description of what went wrong and the outcome you would like.

2. 2

   Get a reply, or up to 10 working days for written complaints

   Severn Trent investigates and responds.

   Typical response10 working days
   What happens

   Severn Trent aims to resolve complaints at first contact; if it cannot, it will come back to you as soon as it can. If you write or email, it says a reply may take up to 10 working days. Under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme you are entitled to an automatic £40 payment in England (£20 in Wales) if it does not send a full reply to a written complaint within 10 working days.

3. 3

   Ask for a review

   Escalate internally if you are still unhappy.

   Typical responseVaries
   What happens

   If you are not happy with the response, tell Severn Trent you want your case reviewed. It will look again at your complaint and give you its final answer. Keep every reference number and letter, which you will need to escalate further.

4. 4

   Ask CCW to take it up

   The consumer body can help for free.

   Typical response8 weeks
   What happens

   If you remain unhappy, or your complaint is unresolved after 8 weeks, contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) on 0300 034 2222. CCW is the free, independent statutory consumer body for water; it can advise you and take up the complaint with Severn Trent. CCW is not a regulator and does not fine the company.

5. 5

   Refer to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman

   Independent adjudication once deadlocked.

   Typical response20 working days
   What happens

   If the complaint stays deadlocked and CCW confirms you can apply, you can refer it free to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, the water sector's alternative dispute resolution provider appointed via Water UK in 2026. Its decision is binding on Severn Trent if you accept it; if you reject it you keep your right to go to court.

Response times

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Severn Trent Water can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

• Consumer Council for Water

Recent news

• 8 July 2026

  Ofwat found Severn Trent Water in breach of its wastewater obligations for failing to effectively provide drainage and manage the contents of its sewers, but decided not to impose a financial penalty. Ofwat said the company had proactively begun fixing its network before the July 2024 enforcement case opened, had invested £98m of shareholder funds, had the right processes in place, and had cut spills per storm overflow by 41% in 2025 versus 2024. Ofwat accepted an enforceable package of undertakings; it was the eighth case in Ofwat's sector-wide wastewater investigation, which has secured enforcement packages and fines of more than £300m.

  Read more
• 24 October 2025

  In the regulators' 2024-25 water company performance reporting, Severn Trent was again rated four stars (the top rating) for environmental performance by the Environment Agency, one of only a small number of companies to reach four stars and, on the company's account, its sixth consecutive year at that level.

  Read more

Earlier cases

• 19 February 2024

  Historic: Severn Trent Water was fined £2,072,000 at Cannock Magistrates' Court after an Environment Agency prosecution over the illegal discharge of raw sewage into the River Trent from Strongford wastewater treatment works near Stoke-on-Trent between November 2019 and February 2020, when two of three screw pumps failed. Roughly 260 million litres were discharged in breach of the environmental permit; the Environment Agency called the company's storm contingency plans 'woefully inadequate'.

  Read more
• 8 December 2021

  Historic: Severn Trent Water was fined £1.5m and ordered to pay £58,365 costs after an Environment Agency prosecution over illegal sewage discharges from four treatment works in Worcestershire (Blackminster, Bromsgrove, Stoke Prior and Priest Bridge) between February and August 2018, including failing to respond to alarms and to manage equipment failures.

  Read more

Know your rights

• Guaranteed Standards Scheme (Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations)

  Sets minimum service standards for water companies with fixed automatic compensation, for example £40 in England if Severn Trent does not fully reply to a written complaint or account query within 10 working days, £50 for a missed appointment, and £50 (plus £50 per further 12-hour period) for a missed supply-restoration deadline. You can claim within three months if payment is not made automatically. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015

  Water and sewerage supply is a service that must be provided with reasonable care and skill; where it falls short you may be able to seek a repeat performance or a price reduction. Not legal advice.

• Water Industry Act 1991

  Governs water companies' duties and the powers of Ofwat and the Environment Agency, including standards of service and the regime under which enforcement and penalties operate. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions