Southern Water Moving Home: A Complete Guide
You’ve moved house, and your supplier is Southern Water. You are going to need to register an account with Southern Water or transfer your existing account to your new property. In this Southern Water moving home guide, we’ve broken down the process for each kind of move so you can focus on the packing.
Southern Water Moving Home
When you move home, find out if you are a Southern Water customer. Southern Water covers the following counties:
- Hampshire
- The Isle of Wight
- West Sussex
However, if you live in Portsmouth, Portsmouth Water will be your supplier. They are owned by Southern Water.
Aside from supplying water to the above counties, Southern Water also handles the wastewater for most of Kent and East Sussex, as well as the counties it’s the water supplier for.
If you would like to double-check which water supplier region you're in, check out our water suppliers map
You can see in the map below where Southern Water supplies.
Keep reading to learn what you need to do during the Southern Water moving home process.
Do I Need To Read My Water Meter When I Move House?
Yes! We recommend you read your meter in both your old and new house. It is important to take a reading on moving day so your water supplier can provide you with an accurate bill for your water consumption. It will also mean that you are not paying for other people’s water bills.
Of course, if you don’t have a water meter, then you will just need to tell the Southern Water moving home team you’ve moved. Southern Water will also start rolling out its smart water meters in February 2022. Smart water meters send an automatic water meter reading to a water company so you don't have to do it manually.
The Southern Water moving home team may also request a forwarding address where they can send your last bill.
How Do I Close My Southern Water Account?
Our guide to water suppliers in the UK will help you get in touch with your new supplier if you’re leaving a Southern Water supplied property to a different supply region.
To cancel or close your Southern Water account when moving home, you’ll need to contact Southern Water and talk to the Southern Water moving home team. You will need your Southern Water account number, the payment reference number from your last Southern Water bill, and a final meter reading if you had a water meter at your old address.
You only need to close your Southern Water account if you move into a new house that isn’t supplied by Southern Water. If you only want to change address with Southern Water, read on.
You can close your Southern Water account up to thirty days before you move or up to thirty days after you move.
You can close your Southern Water account online, or you can call the Southern Water moving home team on 0330 303 0277 if you prefer.
Southern Water Change of Address
You’ll need to tell the Southern Water moving home team if you are changing your address, but only if Southern Water supplies your new address.
You can change your address up to 30 days in advance.
When a different water company supplies your new address, you will need to cancel your Southern Water account when you move house and set up a new account with the new supplier. The Southern Water moving home team will be able to help you with all this.
To change your address, you’ll need to contact the Southern Water moving home team to tell them. You can let the Southern Water moving home team know about your change of address by phone, on 0330 303 0277, or by visiting the Your Account page on the Southern Water website. You’ll need to have:
- Your Southern Water account number
- Your moving date
The quickest way to change your address with Southern Water is on the website, but you must know your account number. Your account number is at the top of your Southern Water bill and is eight digits long. You can call Southern Water if you can’t find your account number.
Your payment method will stay the same when you change address, so if you were paying by direct debit in your old house, you can continue to pay by direct debit.
Southern Water New Customer
Southern Water new customers must register with the Southern Water moving home team when moving home to a property supplied by Southern Water. The process is straightforward, but before you start, you will need some information to hand.
You need an email address if you’re a Southern Water new customer registering on the website. Southern Water new customers without an email address must call Southern Water on 0330 303 0277 to register.
You will need the following information to register with Southern Water when changing address. We recommend you have this ready before you call Southern Water or go to the website.
- Email address (only if registering online)
- Name and contact information for the main account holder
- Your new address
- Your moving date
- Payment information, such as bank account details, if you want to pay by direct debit
Once you have that information ready, call Southern Water or go to the website and set up your water account. Once you're registered, you will have to set up your water bill.
There are many ways to pay your water bill! Since everyone’s financial situation is different, you might benefit from a payment method that suits you better. Take a look at our How To Pay Your Water Bill guide to find out more.
Your water bill is determined by a number of factors so to find out exactly how your water bill is calculated, you should check out our UK Water Rates guide.
You can register for your Southern Water new customer account up to 30 days before you move in.
Water Hardness with Southern Water
How hard is the water in the Southern Water supply area? This is a common question when people move locations since water hardness varies across the country.
Southern Water generally supplies very hard water since there is a higher concentration of minerals in the water. You might want to consider a water softener solution to make the water nicer to drink.
Check out our Water Hardness guide to find out more information.
Southern Water New Tenant
Southern Water new tenants will need to contact Southern Water to register an account. Of course, if you are an existing Southern Water customer, you can transfer your account while moving home with Southern Water.
When registering an account as a Southern Water new tenant, you can go online to register or you can call them on 0330 303 0277. You will need an email address to register online, but it’s the easiest way to register as a Southern Water new tenant.
However, some landlords will pay the water bill and include it in your rent. We recommend you check your rental agreement to find out who should pay for the water bill.
You are most likely responsible for it if your rental agreement doesn’t stipulate that it includes the water in your rent.
You should speak to your landlord or agency for clarification if you’re unsure.
Southern Water Landlord Services
Southern Water Landlords can register the details of their new or existing tenants using the free Landlord TAP portal. Landlords can use the Landlord TAP portal to manage their properties’ water accounts online. You can also:
- Add new properties to your portfolio
- Remove properties from your portfolio
- Tell Southern Water changes of tenancy and changes to tenant’s details
- Let Southern Water know when a property becomes empty
- Inform Southern Water if you sell or no longer manage the property
If you are a Southern Water landlord, you can easily manage all your properties using the Landlord TAP.
Can You Change Water Supplier?
Although you can switch your gas and electric, you cannot change your water supplier. However, business customers can now switch their water supplier when they move address. At present, your water supply depends on your postcode and the water company may cover several counties.
The water regulator Ofwat has been looking into a possible deregulation of the water market to make it competitive, but owing to the ongoing energy crisis, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
If you’re curious about how much you’re paying with Southern Water in comparison to other water suppliers, check out our Average UK Water Bill guide.
Just Moved House and Don’t Have Water?
If you’ve just moved house and don’t have any water at home, the landlord or previous occupant could have turned off the water in your new house at the stop tap to avoid potential leaks
- You need to find your main stop tap
- The stop tap could be inside or outside the house
- You must make sure the stop tap is open
Once you’ve checked this, turn on your taps in your new house and see if water is coming out. If the stop tap was closed, give it a minute to allow the water to start. Check other taps if the first one still doesn’t have water.
If you still don’t have water, speak to Southern Water. They will tell you if the property has had the supply stopped or if there’s a burst water main in your area. You can call Southern Water on 0330 303 0368 and a representative will help you.