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Need help paying your water bill? You may qualify for a WaterSure grant. There are also other ways water companies can cut your costs.

If you're struggling to pay your water bill, don't let your budget get rinsed. There is help at hand if you know where to look. Find out what water grants are available in your area, and how to go about claiming them.

The WaterSure Grant
Other ways your water company can help
Find out what help YOUR water company offers

The WaterSure grant

The WaterSure grant is available for certain customers with a water meter. If you’re awarded it, it caps your bills so they rise no higher than the average bill for your area – no matter how much water you use.

To qualify for a WaterSure grant, you (or someone living with you) must be eligible for one of the following benefits:

• Council tax benefit
• Child Tax Credit (except families who are in receipt of the family element only)
• Housing benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Working Tax Credit
• Pension Credit

As well as the above, you also need to:

• Have responsibility for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property

Or:

• Have a household member with a medical condition that requires significant additional use of water (such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or weeping skin diseases such as psoriasis).

If you think you may be eligible for WaterSure, apply through your water company. (We’ve listed which water companies offer it, along with their contact details, here

Talk to your water company

If you are have genuine money worries over your water bill and are concerned about falling into debt, your water company may be able to help you with your bills through a charitable trust.

Many charitable water trusts cover the same geographical area as a particular water company – though they are usually run independently from the companies themselves. Contact your water supplier to see if they have one they can put you in touch with.

The contact information for your water company will be on your water bill. If you’re not sure which water company supplies you, you can find out here.

‘Matched payment’ schemes

You should also ask your water company if they run any grant or benefit schemes themselves. (Some offer ‘matched payment’ schemes – where for every £1 you pay, the water company also pays £1 towards your bill.)

Even if they don’t have such a scheme, they may be able to help you by offering a flexible payment plan, allowing you to choose how frequently you are billed in order to help you manage your finances.

What help does your water company offer?

Anglian Water

• Anglian Water – online help with paying bills
• Anglian Water debt helpline: 0800 169 3630
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – they have a Restart scheme for those struggling to pay off their water debts, but this is arranged on a case-by-case basis. Ring the helpline above for more information.
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Anglian Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Anglian Water Assistance Fund: offers grants to families who need to clear water or sewerage debts to help get their finances back on track
• AquaCare Plus tariff: special tariff for customers on certain benefits experiencing hardship
• SoLow tariff: special tariff for customers with low water usage

Bristol Water

• Bristol Water – online help with paying bills
• Bristol Water helpline: 0800 528 3838
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – Restart and Restart Plus
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Bristol Water WaterSure

Cambridge Water

• Cambridge Water – online help with paying bills
• Cambridge Water helpline: 01223 706 050
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Cambridge Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• SoLow tariff: you may be eligible to apply for this low water usage tariff from Anglian Water

Dee Valley Water

• Dee Valley Water – online help with paying bills
• Dee Valley Water helpline: 01978 833 200
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Dee Valley WaterSure

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

• Cymru Welsh Water – online help with paying bills
• Dwr Cymru Welsh Water helpline: 0800 052 0145
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – but you have to be referred by a Citizen’s Advice Bureau (or similar debt advice agency) to receive it
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? No, but see Welsh Water Assist below

Other help available:

• Customer Assistance Fund: matched payment scheme for those in severe financial hardship
• Welsh Water Assist: aimed at low income households with large families, or those with a medical condition which means more water is used.
• Water Direct: pay your water charges through your benefits and get a £25 discount of your bill

Essex and Suffolk Water

• Essex and Suffolk Water – online help with paying bills
• Essex and Suffolk Water helpline: 0845 782 0111
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Essex and Suffolk Water WaterSure

Northumbrian Water

• Northumbrian Water – online help with paying bills
• Northumbrian Water helpline: 0845 733 5566
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Northumbrian Water WaterSure

Portsmouth Water

• Portsmouth Water – online help with paying bills
• Portsmouth Water helpline: 023 9249 9888
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Portsmouth Water WaterSure

Sembcorp Bournemouth Water

• Sembcorp Bournemouth Water – online help with paying bills
• Sembcorp Bournemouth Water helpline: 0120 259 0059
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Sembcorp Bournemouth WaterSure

Severn Trent Water

• Severn Trent Water – online help with paying bills
• Severn Trent Water helpline: 0845 604 3772
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Severn Trent WaterSure

Other help available:

• Severn Trent Trust Fund – distributes grants for people who are struggling to meet the cost of their water charges

South East Water

• South East Water – online help with paying bills
• South East Water helpline: 03330 000 005
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – South East Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Helping Hand Scheme – charitable trust that awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills

South Staffordshire Water

• South Staffordshire Water – online help with paying bills
• South Staffordshire Water helpline: 0800 0930 610
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – phone helpline for details
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – South Staffordshire Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• South Staffs Water Charitable Trust – awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills. Contact them through South Staffordshire Water

South West Water

• South West Water – online help with paying bills
• South West Water helpline: 0800 0830 283
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – see WaterCare+ Scheme below
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – South West Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• WaterCare+ Scheme – a representative will help you ensure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to and ensure you’re on the best tariff. They can also carry out a home water audit and install low tech water-saving devices free of charge, and advise you about any grants you may be able to apply for.

Southern Water

• Southern Water – online help with paying bills
• Southern Water helpline: 0845 272 0845
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – New Start scheme
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Southern Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Southern Water Trust Fund – awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills.

Sutton and East Surrey Water

• Sutton and East Surrey Water – online help with paying bills
• Sutton and East Surrey Water helpline: 01737 789 881
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Sutton and East Surrey Water WaterSure

Thames Water

• Thames Water – online help with paying bills
• Thames Water helpline: 0845 9200 888
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Thames Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Thames Water Trust Fund – awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills.

United Utilities

• United Utilities – online help with paying bills
• United Utilities helpline: 0845 7462 034
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – Arrears Allowance scheme
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – United Utilities WaterSure

Other help available:

• United Utilities Trust Fund - awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills.

Veolia Water Central

• Veolia Water Central – online help with paying bills
• Veolia Water Central helpline: 0800 697 982
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Veolia Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Veolia Water Trust - awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills

Veolia Water East

• Veolia Water East – online help with paying bills
• Veolia Water East helpline: 0845 1482 911
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Veolia Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Veolia Water Trust - awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills
• SoLow tariff - special tariff for customers with low water usage

Veolia Water Southeast

• Veolia Water Southeast – online help with paying bills
• Veolia Water Southeast helpline: 0845 888 5 888
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? No
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Veolia Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Veolia Water Trust - awards grants to those struggling to pay their water bills

Wessex Water

• Wessex Water – online help with paying bills
• Wessex Water helpline: 0845 600 3 600
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – Assist scheme
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Wessex Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Assist tariff – this is for customers who face extreme financial hardship. If you get on this tariff you get much lower bills based on your financial circumstances and ability to pay. To qualify you must be in receipt of at least one means-tested benefit. You also can’t apply for this tariff yourself – a Citizen’s Advice Bureau (or similar debt advice agency) must apply on your behalf. You may also be able to combine being on the Assist tariff with a ‘matched payment’ scheme, entitling you to even lower bills.

Yorkshire Water

• Yorkshire Water – online help with paying bills
• Yorkshire Water helpline: 0845 1 24 24 26
• Do they offer a ‘matched payment’ scheme? Yes – Resolve Scheme
• Do they offer WaterSure grants? Yes – Yorkshire Water WaterSure

Other help available:

• Yorkshire Water Community Trust

General tips on cutting your water bill

There are all sorts of simple things you can do to cut your water costs - from switching to a water meter to getting water saving freebies. Get more information on how to cut your water bill.