Water is the one utility you can’t shop around for. Your home is served by a single regional company for water — and often another for sewerage — and you can’t switch to a cheaper one the way you can with energy. That makes it all the more important to know what help is on offer if bills are a struggle, what standards your company has to meet, and where to turn when something goes wrong.

Why you can’t switch water supplier

Household water and sewerage in England and Wales is a regional monopoly.
Whoever supplies your area is your supplier, full stop — only business customers have been able to switch retailer since the market opened in 2017.
What protects you instead is regulation: Ofwat is the economic regulator that sets the price limits your company can charge and the standards it must meet, and the independent Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is there to take up complaints and push for a fair deal for customers. So while you can’t vote with your feet, you’re far from powerless.

Help if you’re struggling to pay

Water bills have been rising, but there’s more support available than most people realise — and you don’t have to be on benefits to qualify for some of it. If money is tight, contact your water company first; they can’t cut off your water supply, and they’d much rather set up an arrangement than let a debt grow. The main forms of help are:

  • Social tariffs. Every water company runs a reduced-bill scheme for low-income households. What you get varies a lot by company — some cap the annual bill (for example around £350), others knock off anywhere from 20% to 90%. It’s worth asking even if you think you might not qualify.
  • WaterSure. This caps the bill for customers who are on a water meter, receive an income-related benefit, and use a lot of water for an unavoidable reason — a large family, or a medical condition. Following the biggest reform of the scheme in nearly 30 years in March 2026, eligibility was widened to include some disability benefits, bringing in tens of thousands more households.
  • WaterDirect. If you’ve fallen into arrears and receive certain benefits, you can have your water charges paid straight from your benefits, which clears the debt gradually and takes the worry out of it.
  • Payment plans and payment breaks. Companies can spread your charges weekly, fortnightly or monthly, or pause payments for a short spell if you hit a rough patch.
  • Debt and hardship schemes. Many companies run funds that write off part of a debt if you keep to a payment plan, or offer grants towards water arrears.

Could a meter cut your bill?

If you’re charged a fixed amount based on your home’s old rateable value, a water meter could save you money — as a rough guide, if there are more bedrooms than people in your home, metering often works out cheaper. You can ask your company to fit one free of charge. If a meter can’t be installed at your property, you can usually ask to be billed on an assessed charge instead, which estimates what a metered bill would be. CCW has a free meter calculator that helps you check before you decide.

The standards your company must meet

Your water company has to meet a set of minimum service standards — the Guaranteed Standards Scheme — and if it falls short, you’re entitled to a fixed compensation payment, often paid automatically. These cover things like keeping appointments, restoring supply after an interruption, dealing with low water pressure, and responding to written complaints and account queries on time. If you’ve had a missed appointment or a prolonged loss of supply, it’s worth checking whether a payment is due.

Leaks and who’s responsible

As a general rule, your water company looks after the public mains and the pipe up to your property boundary, and you’re responsible for the supply pipe from the boundary into your home. If you find a leak on your side, don’t assume you’re on your own — many companies will repair the first leak on a customer’s supply pipe free of charge, so ask before you pay for the work.

If something goes wrong

Always start with your water company and give it the chance to put things right. If you’re not happy with how it responds, CCW can take up your complaint independently and negotiate on your behalf — its help is free. If the dispute still isn’t resolved, some cases can go to the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS), an independent adjudicator whose decision is binding on the company but not on you, so you keep your other options open.

What to do next

If your bill is unaffordable, ring your water company today and ask specifically about social tariffs, WaterSure and payment plans — support only starts once you ask. For help with the wider cost of living, see our Help for households hub, and if you have a complaint your company won’t resolve, our Legal claims pages explain how to escalate. You can also check whether your provider appears in our Complaints Directory.

Sources

Ofwat, “Customer assistance” and the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (ofwat.gov.uk); Consumer Council for Water, “Help with bills” (ccw.org.uk);
GOV.UK, “Reduced bills for around 300,000 households in WaterSure reform” (March 2026). Reviewed: 3 September 2026.