Southern Water — contact numbers, supply area, bills & meters

Southern Water supply area: who they cover

Southern Water supplies drinking water to around 2.5 million people in Kent, East Sussex, parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and operates the wastewater network for more than 4.7 million people across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The clean-water footprint and the sewerage footprint do not match exactly, which is why many households pay Southern Water only for wastewater while another company bills them for drinking water.

Knowing your real supplier matters because you cannot switch household water company in England — the supplier is fixed by your address. The main exceptions to the Southern Water drinking-water area are Portsmouth and most of South Hampshire, served by Portsmouth Water, and East Dorset and parts of Hampshire served by Bournemouth Water. Pockets of South East England also fall under South East Water.

Always confirm your supplier on the Water UK postcode checker or by reading the top of your most recent bill — it always names both the clean-water and wastewater companies.

Southern Water contact numbers and channels

The main Southern Water number is 0330 303 0277, open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm (closed at weekends and on bank holidays), charged at local rate from UK landlines and mobiles. It handles billing, account changes, meter readings, moving home and direct debit set-up. For leaks, bursts, no-water incidents or flooding sewers, the company operates a single 24/7 emergency line on 0330 303 0368. Developers and self-builders use a separate line on 0330 303 0119.

Choosing the right number first time saves time on hold — Southern Water serves more than 4.7 million wastewater customers, and the wrong queue can mean a long wait after major storms or pollution incidents. Our dedicated Southern Water contact number guide covers email, live chat, WhatsApp and complaints escalation in more detail.

Source: Southern Water — contact us. 0330 numbers are charged at local rate from UK landlines and mobiles.

Online chat, WhatsApp and social media

If your query is not urgent, online channels are usually quicker than the phone. The Southern Water website offers live chat for billing and account queries during office hours, and WhatsApp on +44 7894 976261 for the same scope. On X/Twitter (@SouthernWater) and Facebook, the team typically responds within an hour during the day for outage and repair updates — never use social media or email to report an active leak or no-water incident, always call the 24/7 line.

Postal correspondence (cheques, written complaints, account queries) should go to: Southern Water, Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 3NX. Have your account number and postcode ready before opening chat or WhatsApp — it avoids the back-and-forth identity check.

Moving home with Southern Water

Tell Southern Water about your move up to 30 days ahead and as soon as possible after move-in day. Whether you are moving in, moving out within the supply area or leaving the region entirely, the process runs through the same online form or through 0330 303 0277. A single submission with your move date, new address, account number and final meter reading is usually enough to close one account and open the next.

If you stay inside the Southern Water area, your account number normally moves with you and any existing direct debit can be transferred to the new property. If you are leaving the region, Southern Water will issue a final bill or refund within a few weeks. Our step-by-step Southern Water moving home guide walks through the full process, and our set up a water bill guide is a good place to start if you are renting your first home.

What you need to register or close an account

Have these details ready before you start — most call-backs happen because one piece is missing rather than because of a complex issue:

• Full name of the account holder ;
• Contact phone and email ;
• Old address and new address with postcodes ;
• Move date (or completion date for purchases) ;
• Final meter reading on move-out day (if metered) ;
• Bank details for Direct Debit or refund.

Water meters and the Universal Metering Programme

Southern Water has run the largest compulsory metering programme in England. The South East is officially classed as "seriously water-stressed", which lets the company install meters whether or not the customer asks for one. Most household properties in the region are now metered under the Universal Metering Programme, and new occupiers are charged by measured volume from day one rather than by rateable value.

After your meter is fitted you get a 12-month settling-in period: you can see both rateable-value and metered charges side-by-side and switch back to rateable value if the bill rises. Households of three or more typically pay more on a meter; one- or two-person households almost always save money. Our water meter guide walks through the install process, and our how to read a water meter guide covers how to interpret the dials.

Smart meters vs older metered accounts

If your meter is more than a few years old, it may still be a "classic" unit that needs a manual reading. Southern Water gradually replaces these with smart meters that transmit usage automatically; in the meantime, send a reading at least twice a year through the online account or the customer services line to avoid estimated bills. Smart meters also give near real-time leak alerts on hidden pipework, useful in a region where supply-side losses are a recurring complaint.

Bills, payment methods and online account

Direct Debit is the cheapest and most popular way to pay a Southern Water bill, spreading the annual cost across monthly or half-yearly instalments and avoiding missed-payment charges. If Direct Debit is not suitable you can pay by debit or credit card online, by the automated phone line, by post, in cash at the Post Office, or by loading a Southern Water Payment Card at any Paypoint outlet — useful for prepayment-style budgeting.

Whatever method you choose, always quote your customer number so the payment is credited correctly. Our Southern Water pay bill guide covers each method in detail, and our wider pay your water bill guide compares options across UK suppliers. For typical billing figures across the country, see our average UK water bill benchmark.

Accepted payment methods

1. Direct Debit (monthly or half-yearly) ;
2. Online debit/credit card payment via the Southern Water site ;
3. 24/7 automated phone payments on 0330 303 1263 ;
4. Postal cheque, made payable to "Southern Water Services Ltd" ;
5. Cash or card at the Post Office ;
6. Southern Water Payment Card at any Paypoint outlet.

Postal address for payments and queries

Southern Water
Southern House
Yeoman Road
Worthing
West Sussex BN13 3NX

Essentials Tariff, WaterSure and Priority Services

If you are struggling with bills, the Essentials Tariff cuts the cost by at least 45% for qualifying households, and the national WaterSure scheme caps the bill of large or medical-needs families on a meter. On top of that, the Priority Services Register provides free practical help — bottled water deliveries, advance warning of supply interruptions, braille or large-print bills — to customers who need extra support for age, health or disability reasons.

These schemes do not affect your supply or service in any way, and signing up is free. Most applications are decided online with your account number, income details and supporting evidence. Our WaterSure scheme guide walks through the national cap rules and how they compare with company-specific tariffs.

Problems, complaints and the regulator

Most problems are resolved on first contact via the main number (0330 303 0277) or the 24/7 emergency line (0330 303 0368). If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, you can escalate it for free to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and, if still unresolved, to the independent Water Redress Scheme (WATRS). These bodies are free to use and their decisions are binding on Southern Water.

You can report sewer flooding, pollution, no-water or low-pressure issues, leaks, blockages and broken manhole covers online through dedicated forms, and an interactive incident map shows live problems in your area. For anything urgent, call the 24/7 line — online tickets are not monitored around the clock.

Why Southern Water is in the news

Southern Water has been one of the most criticised water companies in England for environmental performance. In July 2021 it was fined a record £90 million after pleading guilty to 51 charges of discharging untreated sewage into the sea between 2010 and 2015. Two years earlier, in 2019, Ofwat ordered the company to pay around £123 million back to customers after finding it had deliberately misreported wastewater treatment performance and missed regulatory targets. The Ofwat 2024–25 water company performance report still lists Southern Water among the worst performers for serious pollution incidents, and bills in the region are rising sharply to fund the catch-up investment.

None of this changes how you contact the company day-to-day, but it does explain why bills, pollution and infrastructure dominate the local press — and why Ofwat scrutiny is unlikely to ease soon.

Online account: what you can do in a few clicks

The Southern Water online account is the fastest way to manage your supply without phoning customer services. Once you have signed up with your email, password and customer number, almost every routine task can be done in a few clicks — from downloading bills to notifying a move. Password recovery asks for your customer number, surname and the email address linked to the account, so keep a recent bill within reach if you have forgotten your details.

Frequently asked questions

Related Southern Water and UK water guides

If you want to go further than account basics, our other guides cover the individual Southern Water services and the wider UK water market — useful if you are moving between regions, comparing meters or trying to understand your bill.

• Southern Water contact number — full list of phone, email and complaint channels ;
• Moving home with Southern Water — step-by-step notice, readings and refunds ;
• Pay your Southern Water bill — Direct Debit, card, Post Office and Payment Card ;
• All UK water suppliers — find who supplies your postcode ;
• Average UK water bill — how charges compare across the country ;
• Smart water meters explained — how compulsory metering works in stressed regions ;
• UK water bills explained — average costs, metering and how charges are set.