Water bills, meter readings and leaks

Who supplies my water? It depends on who built your home:

• Avant homes — IWNL (Independent Water Networks Ltd)
• Evans homes — Last Mile Water
• Countryside homes — IWNL (Independent Water Networks Ltd)

Unlike gas and electricity, you cannot switch water supplier, so it’s worth getting your billing right with the one you have.

Where is my water meter?

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Under the small grate on the pavement in front of your house (not the larger one). The lid lifts with a flat screwdriver or an old knife, and there’s a foam plug underneath to remove. The chamber is often muddy or waterlogged, so it’s easiest to take a photo of the reading on your phone.

Submit meter readings monthly

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IWNL and Last Mile Water only officially read meters twice a year (June and December) and estimate your bills in between. Estimated bills have caught residents out badly — monthly payments of £80–£125 before a real reading brought them down. Around £50 a month is typical for two adults, and a family of four uses roughly 12 cubic metres a month.

Submitting a reading regenerates your bill, so send one every month via your supplier’s website or app to keep bills accurate and avoid a large catch-up bill or an inflated direct debit.

WaterSure — a cap on your bill for larger families

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If someone in your household receives Child Benefit for three or more children under 19, you can apply for the WaterSure scheme, which caps your annual bill — regardless of income. Ask your water supplier for the application form.

Think you have a leak?

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Turn off the internal stop tap (usually under the kitchen sink), then check the meter. If it is still counting up, there’s a leak between the meter and the house. On a new build, a leak inside your property boundary is the developer’s responsibility — report it to their customer care team.

Supply problems

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IWNL publish outages and incidents at iwnl.co.uk/live-incidents.