Water social tariffs: the scheme your water company runs
You can't switch water company. So the low-income scheme you can apply for isn't a choice — it's decided entirely by your address. Here is every scheme in England and Wales, what each one actually gives you, and who qualifies.
By Tom Calder · Checked 2026-07-24 · 19 companies covering all 318 councils in England and Wales
Water is a regional monopoly, and that has an odd consequence: two households on identical incomes, a mile apart, can be entitled to completely different help — or none. Citizens Advice estimates millions of eligible households are missing out, largely because the schemes are unbranded, inconsistently named and rarely advertised. There is nothing to compare and nothing to switch to. There is only finding out what your own company offers, which is what this page is for.
Find your company
Search by water company or by your council. Not sure who supplies you? It's on your water bill, or check your area page.
Severn Trent Water
What you get: Severn Trent's own scheme page states: "You could get up to £411 off your yearly Severn Trent bill." It is not a flat rate — Severn Trent assesses your household income (and takes savings into account) and places you in one of nine discount bands, so what you get depends on how far below the threshold your income falls. Note that CCW, the statutory water consumer body, describes the same scheme as giving a "Minimum discount £117, max discount £764" — a higher ceiling than Severn Trent's own headline.
Who qualifies: Big Difference Scheme: open to any Severn Trent household customer whose total household income is below £24,454 — you do NOT need to be on benefits, do not need to be in arrears, and there is no age or employment condition. Households with child dependants get an additional income allowance on top of £24,454; neither Severn Trent nor CCW publishes the size of that allowance, so do not quote a figure.
Household income cap: £24,454 a year
Sources disagree: Severn Trent's own page says 'up to £411 off'; CCW's live page says the discount ranges £117–£764. Both are primary sources and they disagree — the guide states both and does not pick a winner.
Serves 50 council areas including Amber Valley, Ashfield, Birmingham, Blaby and 46 more.
Thames Water
What you get: WaterHelp cuts your water and/or wastewater charges by between 25% and 99%. It is a sliding scale, not a flat rate: "The level of discount will depend on your bill to income ratio" (Household Charges Scheme 2026-27, s8.2.2–8.2.3).
Who qualifies: WaterHelp is a bill-to-income RATIO test, not an income cap — there is no maximum income. If Thames bills you for BOTH water and wastewater, you qualify if you spend more than 5% of your net household income on those charges (s8.2.2).
Serves 44 council areas including Bexley, Bromley, Broxbourne, Buckinghamshire and 40 more.
United Utilities
What you get: Back on Track replaces your annual bill with a fixed charge from one of seven assessed affordability bands. 2026/27 combined water + sewerage amounts, verbatim from UU's own support-charges page: Band 0 £112.80, Band 1 £145.20, Band 2 £250.80, Band 3 £318.00, Band 4 £429.60, Band 5 £495.60, Band 6 £595.20.
Who qualifies: Back on Track: receive one of four benefits UU lists — Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction/Support, or Pension Credit (single-occupancy and student council tax discounts do not count) — OR have household income under £22,500 a year if applying due to a recent life event. In addition you must either be in arrears with previous years' water charges, or demonstrate a life event in the last 6 months that reduced your income.
Household income cap: £22,500 a year
Serves 34 council areas including Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley and 30 more.
Anglian Water
What you get: A straight percentage discount off metered charges in two bands: LITE = 25% off, Extra LITE = 50% off. The discount applies uniformly to BOTH the fixed (standing) charge and the volumetric per-m3 charge, on water and sewerage alike, and to surface water and highway drainage — verified arithmetically against the published 2026-27 rate tables in all five charging areas, not taken from the marketing headline (volumetric ratios land on exactly 0.7500 and 0.5000; fixed charges are rounded down to the nearest 5p).
Who qualifies: Households on a low disposable income who are metered or willing to have a meter fitted free. Eligibility is assessed on water and sewerage charges as a proportion of household disposable income, accounting for occupancy — i.e.
Serves 32 council areas including Babergh, Bassetlaw, Bedford, Boston and 28 more.
Affinity Water
What you get: For 2026/27 (from April 2026) your clean-water bill is fixed at £160.80 a year on LIFT Standard, or £108.00 a year on LIFT Enhanced. It is a flat annual charge, not a percentage off your own bill: the figure is the same in all three Affinity regions (Central, East, Southeast) and does not change with how much water you use.
Who qualifies: EITHER an annual household income of less than £22,225 excluding benefits, OR you claim one of: income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, or Pension Credit. You must be the person named on the water account and able to supply evidence showing your name and address.
Household income cap: £22,225 a year
Serves 24 council areas including Barnet, Brent, Dacorum, Dover and 20 more.
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
What you get: HelpU caps the total annual bill at £350.16 for 2026-27 (£134.72 water + £215.44 sewerage), covering both water and sewerage, however much you use. It is a cap, not a discount — there is no percentage off, and if your normal bill is already below £350.16 the tariff gains you nothing.
Who qualifies: HelpU requires ALL of: (1) the supply is for domestic use only; (2) someone in the household receives at least one means-tested benefit — Universal Credit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA, Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit (not families on the family element only), Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, or income-based Council Tax Reduction (a Single Person Discount does not count); and (3) combined annual household income is at or under a threshold that is BANDED BY HOUSEHOLD SIZE — 1 person £12,600, 2 people £19,000, 3 or more people £20,000. Income counts everyone aged 16+ living at the property, children included in the headcount.
Household income cap: £20,000 a year
Serves 22 council areas including Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff and 18 more.
South East Water
What you get: A percentage discount off the bill in two income bands, revised from 1 April 2026: household income under £17,000 = 50% discount; household income between £17,000 and £22,020 = 30% discount. Because South East Water is a water-only company that bills on behalf of your wastewater provider, the discount also reaches the wastewater part of the bill — SEW's page states "the tariff will also include a discount on the waste water part of your bill." It is a straight percentage off: no £ cap and no minimum-charge floor is stated.
Who qualifies: Assessed on total household income alone. Household income must be under £22,020, and disability benefits and housing benefits/payments are excluded from the income calculation.
Household income cap: £22,020 a year
Serves 18 council areas including Ashford, Basingstoke and Deane, Bracknell Forest, Canterbury and 14 more.
Southern Water
What you get: A banded percentage discount off charges, set by annual household income. Where Southern supplies the water (Part 7A, para A3.8): Band 1, income £22,020 down to £3,000 = 45% off; Band 2, £2,999 to £2,500 = 65%; Band 3, £2,499 and lower = 90%.
Who qualifies: Three routes into Essentials. (1) Income route (Part 7A, water supplied by Southern): annual household income of £22,020 or lower — assessed across everyone at the property who would be liable for charges under s.143 Water Industry Act 1991, and explicitly EXCLUDING Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments — plus total household savings below £16,000, the property must be the applicant's only or principal home, and water must not be used for watering a garden by apparatus (hand watering is fine) or automatically replenishing a pond or pool over 10,000 litres.
Household income cap: £22,020 a year
Serves 17 council areas including Adur, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Crawley and 13 more.
Yorkshire Water
What you get: Your annual bill is capped at one of three fixed band amounts, assigned by household income and composition — not a percentage discount. For 2026/27 the combined water + sewerage caps are £295 (Band 1), £390 (Band 2) or £469 (Band 3).
Who qualifies: Low-income Yorkshire Water households. Yorkshire Water and CCW both state you may be eligible with household income below £21,000, or below £26,000 with dependants.
Household income cap: £21,000 a year
Serves 14 council areas including Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster and 10 more.
South West Water
What you get: Three separate things, and which one applies is decided by how you are billed. (1) WaterCare — for metered or assessed-charge customers: a percentage reduction off standard metered charges in FIVE bands of 85%, 75%, 50%, 25% or 15% (Charges Scheme 2026-27, s8.5).
Who qualifies: WaterCare / Assist (discretionary, income-tested — NO benefit receipt required): the household must meet BOTH tests — (1) household equivalised weekly income AFTER HOUSING COSTS must be less than £400, and (2) the household's bill-to-income ratio must EXCEED 5% (s8.2/8.3 for WaterCare, s9.3/9.4 for Assist). 'Equivalised' means the figure is adjusted for household size and composition, so the cash income a household can have and still qualify varies with how many adults and children live there.
Serves 13 council areas including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, East Devon, Exeter and 9 more.
Essex and Suffolk Water
What you get: SupportPlus Reduced Charges Scheme (discretionary): a banded percentage discount sized to an affordability gap — the discount is calculated to bring your annual bill down to below 4% of your total household income after housing costs. Per the 2026/27 charges scheme, para 109(a)(ii): "The minimum discount will be 10% and this will increase in 10% bandings up to a maximum of 50% of your annual bill." So you get 10/20/30/40/50% off, whichever band closes your gap — not a flat 50%.
Who qualifies: SupportPlus — three alternative qualifying routes (2026/27 charges scheme, para 109(a)(ii)): (1) total household income less than £30,000 AND your annual combined water and sewerage bill is greater than 4% of total household income after housing costs (rent or mortgage); (2) your household income is not sufficient to cover essential bills, evidenced by a financial assessment from an independent debt advice organisation such as StepChange; or (3) you are in receipt of Pension Credit. IMPORTANT on route 3: the statutory charges scheme states this route with no affordability test attached, but the company's website adds a 4%-of-net-income test.
Household income cap: £30,000 a year
Serves 12 council areas including Barking and Dagenham, Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point and 8 more.
Northumbrian Water
What you get: A percentage discount off the annual water and sewerage bill, awarded in 10% bands: minimum 10%, rising in 10% steps to a maximum of 50%. The band is set so as to reduce the annual bill to below 4% of total household income after housing costs — but it is hard-capped at 50%, so a household whose bill is very high relative to income may still be left paying more than 4%.
Who qualifies: SupportPlus reduced charges — three alternative routes to qualify: (1) Total household income under £30,000 AND the annual combined water and sewerage bill is more than 4% of total household income after housing costs (rent or mortgage). Proof of income and housing costs required.
Household income cap: £30,000 a year
Serves 11 council areas including County Durham, Darlington, Gateshead, Middlesbrough and 7 more.
South Staffordshire Water
What you get: A three-year tapering percentage discount, NOT a flat discount: 60% off in year one, 40% in year two, 20% in year three. South Staffs contacts you before the tariff expires to review it, and you may qualify again if your circumstances have not changed.
Who qualifies: Two routes: (1) total household income below £23,492 a year, with £1,500 added to that threshold per dependent child; or (2) receipt of Pension Credit (guarantee element), which qualifies regardless of the income test. Open to BOTH metered and unmetered customers — unusually, no meter is required.
Household income cap: £23,492 a year
Serves 9 council areas including Cannock Chase, Dudley, East Staffordshire, Lichfield and 5 more.
Bristol Water
What you get: Six fixed annual charges. A successful applicant is assigned a level by means assessment and their Bristol Water water charge is replaced by that flat annual figure.
Who qualifies: Households in "substantial difficulty" paying their bill. There is no benefits test and no published income cut-off — you do NOT need to be on benefits to qualify, a point stated explicitly on the application route's own page.
Serves 4 council areas including Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, City of, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
Portsmouth Water
What you get: Your Portsmouth Water charge is replaced by a flat Social Tariff of £94.00 a year for 2026/27, listed as a line item in the regulated Schedule of Charges in force from 1 April 2026. For context, the same schedule sets the unmeasured minimum charge at £128.75, the single-occupier assessed charge at £106.31 and the standard assessed charge at £172.03.
Who qualifies: Helping Hand: household income of no more than £22,020 a year. You do NOT need to be on benefits — the listed benefits are disregarded from the income calculation, so they cannot push you over the threshold, and the online form offers a 'not in receipt of any benefits' option.
Household income cap: £22,020 a year
Serves 4 council areas including Arun, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth.
SES Water
What you get: Water Support: a 50% discount on the SES Water bill. The charges scheme states "A discount of 50% of the applicable charge will be applied", and it applies to BOTH the standing charge and the variable/volume charge, across unmeasured, measured and assessed household tariffs.
Who qualifies: WATER SUPPORT — you qualify if EITHER a member of the household receives one or more means-tested benefits, OR combined household income before any deductions is under £19,995 (under £25,207 if you live in a London borough). CCW adds that disablement benefits are NOT counted as income in this assessment, so do not rule yourself out on that basis.
Household income cap: £19,995 a year
Serves 4 council areas including Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Sutton, Tandridge.
Wessex Water
What you get: Assist REPLACES your normal bill with a fixed annual charge set at one of six levels by a means assessment — it is not a percentage off. For 2026-27 (Schedule 2): where Wessex supplies BOTH water and wastewater the bill becomes £64 / £122 / £207 / £275 / £398 / £525 a year (levels 1-6); where Wessex supplies only ONE service (water or wastewater) it becomes £34 / £81 / £132 / £186 / £239 / £266 a year.
Who qualifies: Assist: anyone Wessex is satisfied cannot afford the payment level that would otherwise apply — you do NOT need to be on benefits. Assessed on a means assessment covering the entire income of everyone resident and liable at the property (total monthly household income before tax, plus monthly rent or mortgage).
Serves 3 council areas including Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire.
Cambridge Water
What you get: A tapering percentage discount off the bill: 60% in year one, 40% in year two, 20% in year three. Cambridge Water's application form (stamped 0548 | 12.03.2026): "your charges will be discounted for 3 years, in the first year by 60%, the second year by 40% and the third year by 20%." Not permanent, but not a hard stop either — the company contacts you before it expires to review, and "If your circumstances have not changed, you may be eligible for the discount again." IMPORTANT: the discount is NOT water-only.
Who qualifies: ASSURE — either (a) total household income below £23,492/year, or (b) receipt of Pension Credit (Guarantee Element). Add £1,500 per dependent child living at the address to the threshold.
Household income cap: £23,492 a year
Serves 2 council areas including Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire.
Hafren Dyfrdwy
What you get: Your bill is not reduced by a percentage of what you currently pay — it is replaced by one of 9 fixed annual band charges, and an income assessment decides which band you land on. Each band is a decile of the company's average household bill (to within a penny), so Band 1 = pay 10% of the average, i.e.
Who qualifies: Hafren Dyfrdwy household customers on a low income. Household income (after excluding certain benefits) must be below: £24,454 with no dependants; £26,804 with 1-2 dependants; £28,804 with 3 or more dependants.
Household income cap: £24,454 a year
Serves 1 council area including Wrexham.
WaterSure: the national scheme, and when it isn't worth it
Separately from its own tariff, every company in England and Wales must offer WaterSure. You must be on a meter, receive a qualifying benefit, and either have three or more children under 19 living with you, or a medical condition that means you use extra water.
WaterSure only helps if your metered bill is ABOVE your company's average. A low-use metered household gains nothing from it and is usually better off on the company's own social tariff. It caps your bill at your company's average metered bill — not at a local or national average, and not at a percentage of what you currently pay. Work out roughly what you use before applying: if you are already below that average, your company's own social tariff is usually the better route, and you can apply for that instead.
Defra's consultation response sets an income threshold of £25,745, adds disability benefits (PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance) to the qualifying list for the first time, removes the charge for a doctor's note, and gives single-occupant households a one-person-average cap. GOV.UK news release of 6 March 2026 states the reforms are 'set to come into force in early 2027'. Existing rules still apply as of July 2026.
Three things worth knowing before you apply
- Your water cannot be cut off. Domestic disconnection for debt has been unlawful in England and Wales since 1999. Applying for help, or being in arrears, carries no risk to your supply — and a social tariff is a billing arrangement, not credit, so it does not touch your credit file.
- Most awards last 12 months. Several schemes require you to reapply each year, and a few will quietly end if you don't. Put a reminder in your calendar for eleven months after you're accepted.
- A meter may cut your bill more than any tariff. If your home has more bedrooms than people, a meter usually costs less than a rateable-value bill — and most companies let you trial one and revert. That can be worth more than a social tariff, and you can often do both.
Common questions
What is a water social tariff?
It's a reduced-rate water bill for households on a low income, run by your water company. You cannot shop around for water — your supplier is fixed by where you live — so the scheme you can apply for depends entirely on which company serves your address. Every company in England and Wales runs one, but they have different names, different eligibility rules and completely different mechanisms.
Who qualifies for a reduced water bill?
It varies by company, which is the whole difficulty. Some set a household income cap (roughly £20,000 to £30,000 depending on the company). Others use a bill-to-income ratio — Thames Water, for example, looks at whether your water charges exceed 5% of your net income rather than setting any income limit. Some require you to be on a means-tested benefit; several do not. Find your company below and check its actual rule rather than assuming.
What is WaterSure and how is it different?
The statutory scheme every England/Wales company must offer. It caps your bill at that COMPANY's average metered bill — not a local or national average. You must be on a meter, receive a qualifying benefit, and either have three or more children under 19 living with you, or a medical condition that means you use extra water. It sits alongside your company's own social tariff — you may be eligible for one, both or neither.
Is WaterSure always worth applying for?
No, and this is the part most coverage gets wrong. WaterSure only helps if your metered bill is ABOVE your company's average. A low-use metered household gains nothing from it and is usually better off on the company's own social tariff.
Are the WaterSure rules changing?
Yes. Defra's consultation response sets an income threshold of £25,745, adds disability benefits (PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance) to the qualifying list for the first time, removes the charge for a doctor's note, and gives single-occupant households a one-person-average cap. GOV.UK news release of 6 March 2026 states the reforms are 'set to come into force in early 2027'. Existing rules still apply as of July 2026. We track this page and will update it when the new rules commence.
Will applying affect my credit file or my supply?
No. A social tariff is a billing arrangement with your water company, not credit. Your water cannot be disconnected for non-payment in England and Wales — domestic disconnection for debt has been unlawful since 1999 — so applying carries no risk to your supply. If you are already in arrears, most schemes can be combined with a payment plan.
We'll tell you when the rules change
The WaterSure reforms land in early 2027, and company thresholds move each April. One email when something that affects eligibility actually changes.
Every scheme above is checked against the water company's own page or the Consumer Council for Water (CCW). We link both so you can verify anything here yourself. Schemes change — particularly each April — and we recheck this page on that cycle. This is information, not financial advice.