The bill that follows you to a new address
Water is one of the utilities that changes hands on moving day, yet it is billed differently across Great Britain. This article summarises Citizens Advice pages on moving home and water bills and on water meters (the moving page carries a review date of 20 February 2020 and applies to England and, in an identical version, to Wales), the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) answer on which company supplies an area, and Scottish sources: Scottish Water’s “Your Charges 2025-2026” page and unmetered-charges FAQs, the Scottish Government’s water charging page and Citizens Advice Scotland’s guide to paying for water and sewerage. Northern Ireland is not covered.
England and Wales: tell the company before you go
Citizens Advice says a household needs to tell its water company when it plans to move, and where to, and to check the company’s website for how to do so. Where there is a water meter, the household should give the company at least five working days’ notice so a final meter reading can be arranged. Citizens Advice warns that without enough notice the household could be charged for water used after moving out. The same page applies to England and Wales.
England and Wales: after the move
If the new home is in an area served by a different water company, the household needs to tell that company, and the CCW points to Water UK’s postcode checker and to its list of water and sewerage company contact details for England and Wales. If the household stays with the same company, it needs to give its new address. When the new home has a water meter, Citizens Advice says to take a reading as soon as moving in, and adds that the meter cannot be removed on request.
Sewerage may be supplied by a different company from the one that supplies the water. Citizens Advice explains that this could mean a separate bill, or that the water company may include sewerage charges on its bill on behalf of the sewerage company.
Meters in a new home
A separate Citizens Advice page says households have a right to be charged on the basis of what they use, which means a right to a meter installed free of charge unless that is impractical or unreasonably expensive, and that tenants can ask for a meter as well. It also says that where a meter cannot be fitted, the water company may be able to offer a cheaper tariff.
Scotland: water is billed with council tax
The Scottish Government states that the local authority bills and collects domestic water and sewerage charges along with Council Tax, and that the charges are linked to the council tax band. Scottish Water adds that most households are billed by their local authority in this way, on unmetered charges based on band. Citizens Advice Scotland explains that the council tax bill shows the extra amount charged for water, depending on the band, which the council collects and passes on to Scottish Water. Sewerage works in the same way unless the home has a private septic tank or is a mobile home.
Scottish Water’s FAQs add that customers can have a domestic water meter fitted, in which case they are billed directly by Scottish Water instead of by the council. They say exemptions, such as for student occupancy or vacancy, are applied by local councils, and that when Scottish Water tells a council a charge needs to be added or removed it is the council that contacts the household about changes to the account. Council Tax Reduction can bring a reduction of up to 35% on the water and sewerage charges, applied automatically, according to Scottish Water and Citizens Advice Scotland.
The council tax steps for a move are covered in Council Tax and Rates When You Move House: What Changes and Where.
A simple timeline
- Several weeks before: find out who supplies the new address and whether the home is metered.
- At least five working days before leaving a metered home in England or Wales: give the water company the move date and new address so a final reading is arranged.
- On the day: read the meter at the old address and again at the new one.
- After moving: tell the new water company or the council, depending on the country, and take a first reading if the new home is metered.
The wider list of who to notify is in Change-of-Address Checklist: Who to Notify When You Move, and gas and electricity meter readings are covered in Moving Home and Your Gas and Electricity: What Citizens Advice Says to Do in England.
The bottom line
In England and Wales, the household deals with its water company: notice of the move, at least five working days for a final meter reading where there is a meter, a new address or a new company afterwards and a first reading on arrival. Sewerage may come on a separate bill. In Scotland, unmetered water and sewerage sit on the council tax bill and are billed by the local council, while metered households are billed directly by Scottish Water. The Citizens Advice moving page carries a 2020 review date, so the company’s own website is the place to confirm current arrangements.
Sources
- Citizens Advice, “Moving home and water bills” (England)
- Citizens Advice, “Moving home and water bills” (Wales)
- Citizens Advice, “Changing to a water meter”
- Consumer Council for Water, “Which water company supplies my area?”
- Scottish Government, “Water charging principles”
- Scottish Water, “Your Charges 2025-2026”
- Scottish Water, “Unmetered Household Charges FAQs”
- Citizens Advice Scotland, “Paying for water and sewerage in Scotland”