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 — Yorkshire Water

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.