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Who supplies my water? Who is my water supplier? These are common questions we wonder when we move into a new property. Selectra can help you get all the information you need about your water bill and water supplier, and answer your questions about water meters, water hardness, and more!
Water supply in the UK is broken up into over 20 companies that cover all UK residential areas. Unlike with other home bills, you don't get a choice of water supplier, therefore it's important to investigate who supplies your water.
How Does Water Work in The UK?
In the UK, there are generally two types of companies that handle the water supply. The first are the larger water and sewerage companies that handle both clean drinking water and wastewater treatment. The second are known as the water-only companies that provide just the clean drinking water.
Depending on your area, your clean drinking water and your sewerage might be handled by two separate companies. If this is the case, you will be billed by both of them, but usually you will only receive one bill from one company, who will bill you one behalf of the other.
For example, if you live in the South East:
- Your clean water will be provided by South East Water
- Your sewerage will be handled by Southern Water
Your bill will only be from South East Water, who will bill you on behalf of Southern Water, but this will be clear on your bill.
Who Supplies My Water?
Finding out who supplies my water in the local area is very simple. The water supplier operating in your local area will be responsible for supplying you with a reliable water supply that meets UK water quality standards. This includes ensuring that water is safe for human consumption and that water contaminants are below thresholds set by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
In addition to water quality, water pressure is another crucial aspect of your home water supply. Too little water pressure results in boilers and appliances not functioning properly, as well as inconsistent water flow from taps and showerheads.
Water Bill Rates
Most homes in the UK have to pay for their water supply. Your water bill gets paid to the local water supplier who is in control of the water supply in your area. In some cases, water rates in your bill will also include a fee to cover sewerage and sanitation services that are often part and parcel of the work water suppliers do. Check out our detailed
How To Pay Your Water Bill guide to get the full picture of your water bill.
Water bills and water rates across the UK are regularly looked at by Ofwat, the industry regulator for residential water suppliers. This is supposed to ensure a balance between affordability and water suppliers being able to maintain infrastructures such as district piping and water quality equipment.
Don't expect water rates to be identical across every water bill in the UK. Water rates will vary depending on where you live in the UK, based on how hard it is to supply water to your area. Find out more about water in your town or city specifically.
You should find out who supplies your water to know exactly what your water bills will be like.
Check out our comprehensive guide on UK Water Rates to find out more.
What Is the Average UK Water Bill
The average UK water bill is how much we spend on our water and sewerage services in the UK. This depends on many factors.
As mentioned above, by far the biggest influence will be who is my water supplier. Since each UK region’s water is supplied by a different water company, the water rates will vary accordingly.
Other factors which influence your water bill will be how much you use and whether you are eligible for any support for your bills.
Learn more by reading our Average UK Water Bill guide
Who Supplies My Water Meter?
The water supplier operating in your community will be responsible for setting up and checking a water meter in your home. Not everyone has a water meter currently because there are different regional requirements as well as local water supply considerations. However, you can inquire about getting a water meter installed by contacting the relevant water supply company.
There are types of water meters that are provided by water companies. A standard water meter and a smart water meter. Find out more about both in our guides.
Who Supplies My Water in The UK? The Comprehensive List
Are you wondering, who supplies your water? Below you can find some brief information about some of the UK water companies. For in-depth details, our water supplier list covers all of the UK and all the companies in the water sector with valuable advice about how to contact them and solve common water queries.
Who Supplies My Water in England and Wales
The most diverse part of the UK's water industry is England. Almost all the water suppliers in the UK handle the water in England, whereas in Wales, there are only two main companies.
Name | Region | About |
---|---|---|
Anglian Water | East of England | With over 2.5 million homes in its water supply area, Anglian Water deals with residential areas across East Anglia and East Midlands. If your home is somewhere between the Thames and the Humber, it is highly likely Anglian Water is your local water supplier. |
Welsh Water Dŵr Cymru | Most of Wales | Welsh Water Dŵr Cymru is responsible for clean water supply as well as sewerage and sanitation services to the majority of Welsh homes as well as some areas of Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester. |
Northumbrian Water | North East England | Northumbrian Water is the company that almost 2 million people across the North East of England rely on for water supply and sewerage or sanitation services. |
Severn Trent Water | West Midland, East Midlands and Chester | Severn Trent Water has a substantial customer base across central England and certain areas of Wales. There are 7 million people that depend on the water supplier for service. Severn Trent Water customers are located south of the Humber Estuary, north of the Bristol Channel, east of Llyn Clywedog and west of Lincolnshire. |
Southern Water | South East England | Southern Water is responsible for the water supply in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Additionally, they also handle sewerage and sanitation. |
South West Water | South West England | South West Water is the only water supplier across Devon and Cornwall. This water company also handles sewerage and sanitation for 1.5 million customers. |
Thames Water | Greater London and Thames Valley | Thames Water is the primary water supplier for London in addition to some areas of Southern England. As such, they operate one of the largest water supply and sewerage businesses in the UK. |
United Utilities | North West England | United Utilities Water is focused on water supply, sewerage and sanitation in the North West of England. As one of the larger British water suppliers, United Water supplies around seven million people. |
Wessex Water | South West England | Wessex Water has a wide water supply catchment area, covering many areas in the South West: including Dorset, Somerset, a lot of Wiltshire, Bristol and areas of Gloucestershire and Hampshire. |
Yorkshire Water | Yorkshire and the Humber | Yorkshire Water simply handles all water supply needs and sewerage for all of Yorkshire. |
Hafren Dyfrdwy | Wrexham and Powys | Hafren Dyfrdwy is a company that is owned by Severn Trent Water, who purchased it in 2017. Hafren Dyfrdwy serves only the Wrexham and Powys areas. |
Name | Region | About |
---|---|---|
Affinity Water | Multiple | Affinity Water has well over 3 million customers across Northwest London, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Additionally, they also cover the water supply in Folkestone, Dover, Tendring Peninsula in Kent, Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Enfield Boroughs in London. |
Albion Water | Hampshire and Gloucestershire | Albion Water deals with the water supply of the following areas only Knowle Village, Upper Rissington, Victory Fields and Upper Rissington in Gloucestershire. |
Bournemouth Water | Bournemouth | Bournemouth Water provides drinking water in a region covering Bournemouth, Salisbury, Poole and Beaulieu. It has around 500,000 customers. |
Bristol Water | Bristol | Bristol Water is responsible for providing water to over a million people living in Bristol as well as its suburbs and exurbs. |
Cambridge Water | Cambridge | South Cambridgeshire is the area that Cambridge Water is exclusively responsible for. The water supplier serves over 100,000 properties in the area. |
Cholderton and District Water | Hampshire and Wiltshire | As its name states, Cholderton & District Water meets the water needs of two villages in Wiltshire: Cholderton and Shipton Bellinger. Compared to other companies in this list, this represents a fairly small area for water supply services. |
Essex and Suffolk Water | Essex and Suffolk | Essex and Suffolk Water handles residential water services for almost 2 million people in Essex as well as North and South Suffolk. Essex and Suffolk Water is now part of Northumbrian Water. |
Hartlepool Water | Hartlepool | Hartlepool Water supplies clean water to the town of Hartlepool. It is owned by Anglian Water. |
Portsmouth Water | Parts of Hampshire and West Sussex | Portsmouth Water provides water supply services for over 650,000 people across West Sussex and Hampshire. This water provider covers an area sandwiched between the Rivers Meon and Arun. |
South East Water | South East | South East Water is the water supplier for areas of Kent, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. This represents an area of over 3.5 square kilometres. |
South Staffordshire Water | Staffordshire and West Midlands | Also known as South Staffs Water, this water supplier handles customers between Kinver and Burton on Trent as well as those sandwiched between Halesowen and Ashbourne. This means that about a million and a quarter of people rely on South Staffordshire Water for their H2O. |
Sutton and East Surrey Water | Surrey, West Kent and South London | SES Water is the exclusive water supplier for 650,000 customers living in a rural area that extends from Morden to Gatwick Airport and from Dorking to Bough Beech. |
Youlgrave Waterworks | Youlgrave | Youlgrave Waterworks supplies 500 households in Youlgrave and is independently run as a non-profit. |
Who Supplies My Water in Scotland
Scottish Water is responsible for handling all water services across Scotland. This includes both domestic water supply, sewerage and sanitation services. With over 2 million homes relying on them for water, Scottish Water is one of the biggest water suppliers in the UK.
Scotland's water industry is also regulated separately. While in England and Wales water companies are regulated by Ofwat, in Scotland the industry is overseen by the Water Industry Commission in Scotland (WICS).
Who Supplies My Water in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Water (NIW) is actually owned by the government and is responsible for the water supply for almost 2 million in Northern Ireland.
Who Supplies My Water Postcode Checker?
One sure way to find who supplies my water is to use a postcode checker. Most of the water supplies include a postcode checker on their websites to be able to see if they are the company who handles your water supply and/or sewage.
Water UK has a postcode checker that checks the national databases to answer who is your water supplier. You can also find out:
- Who provides my water service
- Who provides my sewerage service
- Who bills my water service
- Who bills my sewerage service
All you need to do is type your postcode into the search box and it will bring up the links to who is my water supplier.
Can I Change Who Supplies My Water?
Current regulations do not allow for UK households to change their water or sewage service supplier. Each region is managed by a private water supplier and you will have to deal with this company. Thus the importance of knowing who your water supplier is. See the above list for details
Government is in continual talks with Ofwat, the water regulator, to evaluate if the deregulation of the water market to competition, as it did for the energy market, would be beneficial for UK citizens. Don't hold your breath though, such a change is likely to come with some apprehensions, especially with what is currently happening in the energy market.
Who Supplies Who Supplies My Water for Business?
The best way to find out who supplies your water for business is to double check your latest water bill. On your business water bills, you will find the name of the water company who supplies your water.
The business water supplier market operates on a competitive basis. This means that it is sometimes possible for businesses to change water suppliers.
Can I Change Who Supplies My Water If I Am A Business?
If you are a business owner and would like to switch your water supplier, starting in 2017, it has been possible to do so under certain conditions. Find out who your water supplier is and contact them for details on pricing and how to change.
A fair price on all your utility bills is crucial for any business to survive these days. Contact our experts at Selectra for more information and obtain the best possible price on all your utility bills.
Water Supplier Problems
When you have problems with your water supply, it is important to know who supplies your water and who handles your sewerage treatment just in case you can’t resolve the issue yourself. There are a number of common problems that should be handled by your water company:
- No water in house
- Flooding from public drains
- Low water pressure
- Water meter problems
If you are experiencing any of these issues, you need to know who supplies my water to contact the right company who’ll be able to deal with it.
Take a look at our guide on No Water In House if you've lost supply.
Who Supplies My Water Hardness?
Around 60% of the UK population live in a hard water area. This means that there is a higher concentration of minerals in your water that might give it a strange taste. Water hardness varies across the country, and in Scotland, West Wales and the North West, the water is generally softer than in other parts of the UK.
When it comes to who supplies your water hardness, this has nothing to do with the company you are with. Instead, it depends on the types of rocks that are in your area. Take a look at our Water Hardness guide to know if you live in a hard water area and how to deal with it.
About Selectra's Service
Getting the best deal on household bills, such as broadband and energy, isn’t always easy. Clear information can sometimes be difficult to find, comparing offers is often a time-consuming hassle, and just getting through to someone on the phone can be a challenge. Here at Selectra, we help you know who is my water supplier, sign up to energy and broadband deals without hassle.
We strive to provide a one-stop site for people who are interested in signing up to a different energy or broadband provider. We are convinced that looking for a cheaper deal shouldn't be a hassle, and therefore aim to make the process simpler by saving people time and money by offering them customised quotes from our partners. On our website, we aim to provide clear information about energy and broadband products. We work closely with select providers in the UK in order to ensure great service to our users.
Frequently Asked Questions about Selectra's service
Is Selectra's Service Free of Charge?
Customers can visit the Selectra website and call our Energy and Broadband teams for free. Our service is free to use for customers because we receive commission from our supplier partners for connecting them with new customers. This process does NOT affect the price for the customers. The commission we receive does not influence the recommendations we make on the website or how we let you know who is my water supplier. It is of utmost importance to us that our customers have a positive experience and are satisfied with our services.
Does Selectra work with all the suppliers on the market?
Selectra doesn't work with all the suppliers on the market. We offer a selection of products from a carefully selected panel of suppliers. We choose the providers we partner with based on a number of criteria including: customer service and value for money.
Energy Providers | Broadband & Mobile Providers | Home Assistance Providers |
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EDF Energy | Origin Broadband | BeSmart |
British Gas | Pop Telecom | |
Bionic | Direct Save Telecom |