How much is the average water bill per month?

Your water bill is usually split into two, with charges for: 

• water, and  
  
• sewage (if your waste and/or rainwater goes into a public sewer). 
  

The rate you’ll pay will then depend on where you live: 

• England and Wales have 16 water companiesOpens in a new window (all with different prices). You might pay one company for water and another for sewerage.  
  
• Northern Ireland has no domestic water charges. 
  
• Scotland has just one company (Scottish Water). You’ll only pay them direct if you have a water meter, if not water is included in your Council Tax payment. 
  

If you have a water meter, you’ll pay for the water you use. If you don’t, and live in England or Wales, you’ll pay estimated bills under the old ‘rateable’ system. This means you’ll pay a set amount based on the rental value of your home between 1973 and 1990.  

See How to reduce your water bill for more information. 

If you live in a house with its own cesspit or septic tank, you usually won’t need to pay for the sewage part of your water bill, so your bill might be below average. 

However, you will need to pay to get your cesspit or septic tank emptied, serviced or replaced, so it’s worth putting some money aside for that.  

At Ofwat you can read more about sewerage chargesOpens in a new window

There are 16 water companies in England and Wales, and each can charge different prices. This is normally based on how much it costs them to provide services in your area. 

Here’s the average 2023/24 water bill for different water companies. If you’re not sure who your provider is, use Water UK’s find your supplier toolOpens in a new window

This is based on water companies that offer a combined water and sewage charge. See Discover WaterOpens in a new window for a breakdown of water-only and sewage-only charges.

If you have a water meter, the number of people in your home will normally increase your water bill. As these figures from Southern Water show.

If you don’t have a water meter, the size of your home and number of bedrooms will determine how much you pay – not how much water you use.  

As this can be based on the size of your home in 1973, today’s average values are unlikely to be useful. But here’s an example of assessed water charges from Thames Water, for customers that are not able to get a water meter.

See our guide on How to reduce your water bill for full information, including: 

• if you can save switching to a water meter 
  
• checking for free water saving gadgets 
  
• seeing if you qualify for cheaper, low-income tariffs, and 
  
• asking for help if you’re struggling to pay.  
  

Since 1996, Ofwat (Opens in a new window) states that water companies have had a dutyOpens in a new window to promote the efficient use of water by all their customers. 

If you would like to find out more, contact your water supplier for further information on how you can save water.   

For those with a water meter, some water companies even offer free home visits to talk about your water usage.  They can help you  reduce your use and may even fit water saving devices in your home. These could include tap inserts, water efficient showerheads, and toilet dual flush converters.  

If you’re on a low income and struggling to pay, you should get in touch with your water company to see what help is available.  
 
Some of the ways that they can help is by offering: 

• flexible payment methods 

• payment breaks 

• social tariffs which are special discounts for people on low income or receiving a specific benefit.  

Each water company has its own support scheme and some also run or work with charities to provide additional help.  

WaterSure is one such scheme.  It offers certain eligible people with help towards their water bills if their household has a high essential use of water. 

Usually there is specific criteria that will need to be met including: 

• being on a water meter, having applied, or waiting for one to be installed

• being on certain benefits  

• having someone in the household that has a medical condition where they need to use a lot of water

• the household has three or more children under 19, an in full-time education living there.