Anglian Water Bills Explained: Charges, Help With Bills and Your Rights

Anglian Water serves most households in the East of England including parts of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Residential water in England is not currently a competitive market for household customers, so you cannot switch supplier in the same way you switch energy or broadband. That makes understanding the bill, the help available and the complaints route important.

This guide breaks down what you actually pay for, the support schemes available if you cannot afford the bill, and the regulatory framework that protects customers. It is general information and not financial advice.

What you actually pay for

An Anglian Water bill is in two parts. The first is a charge for the supply of clean drinking water. The second is a charge for wastewater services, including taking away dirty water from your home and treating sewage at a wastewater treatment works. Both clean water and wastewater are usually billed by Anglian Water in the same statement for areas where Anglian operates both services.

Some households are served for clean water by a separate company, in which case Anglian Water bills only for wastewater. Check the front of your bill for the company name and customer reference.

How Anglian Water charges work

If you have a water meter, your bill is volumetric. You pay a fixed standing charge plus a unit charge per cubic metre of water used. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres.

If you do not have a meter, your bill is unmeasured and based on the rateable value of your property. Rateable value charges were set under the old domestic rating system and remain in force for unmetered customers.

Anglian Water publishes its full tariff in the household charges scheme, available on the Anglian Water website. Ofwat oversees the price control framework that sets how much the company can charge over each five year period.

If you are unmetered and using less water than the average household, fitting a meter can reduce bills. Anglian Water installs household meters free of charge. You can revert to unmeasured charges within 24 months if a meter increases your bill.

Help if you cannot pay

Anglian Water runs hardship and social tariff schemes for customers on a low income or with extra needs. The LITE scheme caps bills for customers in financial hardship. The Extra Care scheme is a Priority Services Register for customers with additional needs such as medical equipment that uses water.

WaterSure caps water bills at the average household level for customers on a means tested benefit who either have three or more children in education or have a medical condition that means they use a lot of water. WaterSure is a statutory scheme that all water companies in England must offer.

If you are struggling with a bill, contact Anglian Water before falling into arrears. Repayment plans, payment holidays and the Anglian Water Assistance Fund are available. Citizens Advice and the Consumer Council for Water also provide free guidance.

Complaints, the Consumer Council for Water, and the Ombudsman

Start with Anglian Water's own complaints process. The company must publish its complaints procedure and respond within defined service levels. If your complaint is not resolved within eight weeks or you receive a deadlock letter, you can escalate.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the statutory consumer body. It can take up unresolved complaints on your behalf and reach a negotiated outcome with the company. CCW is free to use.

If CCW cannot resolve the dispute, you can escalate to the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS), an independent adjudication service. WATRS decisions are binding on the water company if the customer accepts them.

Ofwat regulates Anglian Water's licence conditions. Ofwat does not handle individual complaints but oversees the company's performance commitments and can take enforcement action where service falls short of licence requirements.

Switching is not yet possible: what you can do instead

Household water is a regional monopoly market in England. Business customers can switch retailer but residential customers cannot. That makes the practical levers for cutting your bill different from energy or broadband.

Three levers tend to matter: reducing volumetric use through low flow fittings and behaviour change; switching to a meter if you are unmetered and use less than the average; and using social tariff schemes if you are eligible.

Anglian Water provides free water saving devices through its Water Efficiency programme. The Energy Saving Trust and CCW also publish guidance on which low flow fittings make the biggest difference.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch away from Anglian Water?

Not as a household customer. The residential water market in England is not open to competition. Business customers can switch retailer.

How do I get a water meter installed?

Anglian Water installs household meters free of charge on request. If a meter increases your bill, you can switch back to unmetered charges within 24 months.

What is WaterSure and do I qualify?

WaterSure is a statutory cap on water bills for customers on a means tested benefit who either have three or more children in education or have a high water medical need. Anglian Water publishes the eligibility checklist on its website.

Where do I complain about Anglian Water?

Start with the company. If unresolved after eight weeks or with a deadlock letter, contact the Consumer Council for Water. If still unresolved, you can apply to the Water Redress Scheme for binding adjudication.

Why has my bill gone up?

Bills change in line with the price control set by Ofwat every five years, plus inflation adjustments. Recent bill changes reflect the AMP8 settlement and changes to environmental investment. Check the explanatory notes on your bill or Anglian Water's website for the year specific drivers.