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Business water is one of the least scrutinised bills a company pays, which is exactly why errors and unnecessary charges so often slip through. Understanding how the charges are built is the first step to spotting anything you should not be paying. This guide breaks a business water bill into its parts and shows you where the common mistakes hide.
In short. A business water bill is made of clean water supply and wastewater, each usually charged on metered use plus a standing charge. Surface water drainage is a common extra that many businesses pay when they should not. Since 2017 you can also switch retailer to get clearer billing.
Your water bill covers two separate services, and it helps to see them clearly.
Water supply. The clean water delivered to your premises. Usually charged on how much you use, measured by a meter, plus a fixed standing charge.
Wastewater, or sewerage. What drains away from your premises. This is often charged as a proportion of the clean water you use, on the assumption that most of what comes in eventually goes out.
Both parts appear on the same bill, but they are priced separately, and both are worth checking.
Most business premises are charged on a meter, which measures your actual usage. Some are still charged on rateable value, an older system based on the property rather than what you use. If your business uses little water, a meter is usually fairer, because rateable value can bear no relation to your real consumption. Checking which basis you are on, and asking about a meter if you are on rateable value, is one of the simplest reviews you can do.
Surface water drainage is the charge many businesses overpay. It covers rainwater that runs off your roofs and hard surfaces into the public sewer. If your premises drain rainwater elsewhere, for example into a soakaway or a watercourse rather than the public sewer, you may be able to have this charge removed. It is one of the most common billing errors, and correcting it applies going forward, so it is well worth investigating.
As with energy, water bills include fixed charges you pay regardless of usage, covering the cost of maintaining your connection and meter. These are usually modest, but on a low usage site they can be a meaningful share of the bill, so they belong in any comparison. A retailer that bundles clear, fair fixed charges with accurate billing is often better value than one with a slightly lower headline rate and a habit of estimating.
✓ Whether you are on a meter or rateable value, and which suits your usage.
✓ Whether surface water drainage applies to your premises at all.
✓ That readings are actual, not repeatedly estimated.
✓ Both the supply and wastewater lines, priced separately.
✗ A run of estimated bills that never gets reconciled to real use.
✗ Charges for services or drainage your premises do not actually use.
Surface water drainage is the single charge most worth questioning. If your rainwater does not drain to the public sewer, you may be paying for a service you never use, and having it removed lowers the bill from then on.
Since the market opened in 2017, you can choose your water retailer, the company that bills you and reads your meter. A good retailer bills accurately, consolidates multiple sites onto one clear bill, and helps you spot exactly the errors above. The water itself and the pipes never change, so there is little downside to reviewing your provider alongside your charges.
Water charges are easy to set and forget, which is exactly why errors persist for years. A short annual review catches most problems before they compound. Check that your readings are actual rather than estimated, confirm you are on the right basis of meter or rateable value for your usage, and question any surface water drainage charge if your rainwater does not reach the public sewer. If you run several sites, compare their bills against each other, because an outlier often points to a billing error on one of them. A review costs nothing but a little time, and because corrections such as removing an unwarranted drainage charge apply going forward, the benefit continues long after the review itself is done.
Most water reviews you can do yourself with a recent bill and a little time. There are moments, though, when it pays to bring in help. If you run several sites, suspect long standing billing errors, or want to challenge a surface water drainage charge and are not sure how, a water consultant or your retailer can investigate on your behalf. Just be clear on how any adviser is paid, so you can judge whether their recommendation is genuinely in your interest. The goal is simple: accurate bills that reflect what your business actually uses, with no charges for services your premises do not receive.
A charge for rainwater running off your premises into the public sewer. If your rainwater drains elsewhere, you may be able to have the charge removed.
If your usage is low, a meter is usually fairer than paying on rateable value, because it charges you for what you actually use. Check which basis you are on.
One covers the clean water supplied to you, the other covers the wastewater that drains away. They are separate services and are priced separately.
Yes, by fixing leaks, moving to a meter if it suits you, checking surface water charges, and switching to a retailer that bills accurately and helps with efficiency.
The wholesale element is set regionally, but a good retailer bills more accurately, consolidates sites and helps remove charges you should not be paying.