Millions of people are estimated to be missing out on hundreds in savings off their water bills. With the cost of living crisis continuing to impact households, it is key to make sure you are getting as much help as you can to pay your bills.
Despite being one of the most common bills we all pay, many are not availing of the support and discounts available on their water payments. In some cases, you could even reduce the amount you pay by hundreds every year if you satisfy certain criteria.
Here is a list of some of the help you can get with your water bills if you live in Wales. To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
Read more: Martin Lewis urges hundreds of thousands to check if they're missing out on a £3,500-a-year top-up
Social tariffs
If you're on a low income - earning up to about £21,000 a year - you might be able to get a social tariff which gives you cheaper water rates. All water providers have them and MoneySavingExpert claims around 5.7 million households are eligible but have yet to claim, missing out on an estimated average of £160 a year. The cheaper tariffs can lower or cap what you pay, though you might need to be on certain benefits to get them.
In Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has a HelpU tariff which it offers to low income households. The annual HelpU charge is £291.30 (£124.01 for water, £167.29 for sewerage) and the following must apply to your household:
- the water supply to the household must be for domestic use only
- someone in the household must receive at least one means-tested benefit
- the combined annual household income must be on or under the threshold for the household size as follows;
Household size of one - £10,700
Household size of two - £16,000
Household size of three plus - £17,700
Someone in your household must also be claiming at least one of these benefits:
- Universal credit
- Income related employment & support allowance (ESA)
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
- Income support
- Pension credit
- Child tax credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
- Working tax credit
- Housing benefit
- Council tax deduction (based on income, not just a Single Persons Discount)
You can find out more about social tariffs in Wales here.
Pay bills directly through your benefits
In Wales you can also take pressure off your finances by paying your bills directly through your benefits if you claim. Welsh Water's Water Direct Debt Support scheme allows you to pay your water charges and debt through your benefits, working alongside the Department for Work and Pensions.
This means you can avoid missed payments and recovery action as the payment is taken automatically from your benefit. You also get a £25 discount off your current year's charges and the total amount you pay is spread over 52 weeks, so you don't get huge chunks taken from your benefits in one go.
You may be eligible if the following apply:
- Your water account is for a domestic property where you currently live.
- Your arrears are more than £75.
- You're in receipt of one of the following benefits: income support, income-based based jobseekers allowance, pension credit, employment and support allowance (income based), universal credit.
You can find out more here.
Cap your bills with WaterSure
You could also get your water bills capped with Welsh Water's WaterSure Wales tariff. If you have a meter, the tariff caps your annual metered bill amount so you won’t pay over a certain amount for the year, no matter what your actual consumption is.
The Bill Cap - WaterSure Wales charge from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 is £403.31 (£166.32 for water, £236.99 for sewerage). The scheme is available to customers who already have a water meter, or opt in to have a water meter fitted. To be eligible, you must be receiving a qualifying benefit or tax credit and either :
- have three or more children under the age of 19 living at your home who you can claim child benefit for, or
- have a member of your household with a medical condition that requires significant use of extra water
Qualifying benefits include:
- Income support
- Income related employment & support allowance
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
- Pension credit
- Housing benefit
- Attendance allowance (AA)
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
- Universal credit
- Disability living allowance (DLA)
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
Spread the cost of your bill
With Welsh Water you can also choose to pay by instalments if you're struggling to make ends meet. You can pay weekly, monthly, or six monthly, rather than paying your full bill when you get it. Many customers prefer paying by direct debit as it spreads the cost without charge, the payments are taken automatically, and it is covered by the Welsh Water direct debit guarantee. You can also set up a payment card if you'd rather not pay by direct debit.
Get a water meter to save money
If you live in Wales, you might save more money by getting a water meter installed. Your bills are estimated, meaning you pay a fixed amount depending on the size of your house, or its rateable value.
If you have a water meter, you only pay for what you use. Most companies install them for free on request, but it's worth knowing if it would benefit you or not before doing anything. On this, MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis says: "If there are more bedrooms in your home than people, or the same number, check out getting a meter."
Of course, you can always try a meter to see if you'll save. There are a few calculators that might be able to help you make that decision, such as this one here.
Ask for an 'assessed charge bill'
According to MoneySavingExpert, water companies must fit meters for free on request unless it is impractical, such as if you live in flats with shared pipes. You can appeal against the decision if you can't get one with the water regulator Ofwat.
If you can't get a meter fitted and don't feel you use much water, you can ask your company for an 'assessed charge bill'. This is calculated based on info such as as how many people live in your home, but each company works it out differently.
The most common assessed charges are based on:
- The number of bedrooms in your property.
- The type of property you live in.
- The number of people who live in the property.
- A fixed charge based on the average metered bill in your company's area.
Ask for a break in payments
If you are struggling and you think your problem might be short-term, Welsh Water allows you to apply for a temporary break from payments. You have to apply for this, which you can do here.
Get some freebies
In most areas of the country you can avail of freebies to help you save on water. This applies slightly differently depending on which council area you live in and the part of the country you're in. Help on offer can include things like free insulation or energy-friendly shower heads.
In Wales you need to use Save Water Save Money's savings calculator to access the freebies. You can do that here.
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