Price Changes 2020/2021

Due to changes made by your wholesaler and industry regulator OFWAT in this year’s price review, you might notice some differences in your bill from April 2020.

Severn Trent customers - unmeasured 

Highway drainage

Previously included as part of overall sewerage charges, highway drainage is now a separate charge. You’ll see it in a new line on your bill, at a set amount of £5.25 a year. Highway drainage is a charge for water that drains from roads and footpaths around your property and flows into the public sewer to be treated and cleaned. 

Fixed charges

Fixed charges have increased for some customers. Fixed charges are set prices for providing your water services. They cover things like billing, meter reading and maintenance of the pipes that bring water to your property.

Severn Trent customers – measured

Highway drainage

 

Previously included as part of overall sewerage charges, highway drainage is now a separate charge. You’ll see it in a new line on your bill, at a set amount of £5.25 a year. Highway drainage is a charge for water that drains from roads and footpaths around your property and flows into the public sewer to be treated and cleaned.

Fixed charges

Fixed charges have increased for some small usage customers. Fixed charges are set prices for providing your water services. They cover things like billing, meter reading and maintenance of the pipes that bring water to your property.

Peak/off peak charges

Peak and off-peak charges are being phased out. So, over 2020/21 there will be a slight increase in off-peak prices and a decrease in peak prices to bring them together.

New large/intermediate tariffs

Intermediate and large users have been re-categorised, so some customers may find they’ll be saving money by moving to a new intermediate or large tariff. We’ll get in contact with you if we believe you’ll benefit from a change to these new tariffs, or if you wish to ‘opt in’ for any of these new tariffs please get in contact with us.

New volume slice

There’s a new rate for customers using 500m3 and under of water and wastewater.

United Utilities customers – unmeasured

Places of worship

In line with normal yearly increases, the unmeasured charge for places of worship has gone up. This is part of an ongoing process to bring the wholesale charges for places of worship in line with other similar metered sites.

United Utilities customers - measured

New site based fixed charges

There has been an introduction of site-based fixed charges for water and wastewater. Fixed charges are set prices for providing your water services. They cover things like billing, meter reading and maintenance of the pipes that bring water to your property.

Trade effluent domestic allowance

The way domestic allowance is calculated for trade effluent customers has changed. It means that less of the domestic allowance will be treated as normal sewerage and more will be treated as trade effluent. This shouldn’t mean much of a change for most customers – if it will change your bill by more than 5% United Utilities will have already contacted you.

New volume slice

There’s a new rate for customers using 500m3 and under of water and wastewater.

Southern Water customers

If you’re in the Southern Water wholesale area, you’ll be receiving a reduction in your wastewater charges from 1st April 2020-31st March 2025. This is an allowance from the wholesaler due issues experienced with wastewater compliance. Where we can, we’ll be getting in touch to explain this.


Find out more about Severn Trent's wholesale charges for 2020/2021.
Find out more about United Utilities' wholesale charges for 2020/2021.
Find out more about Southern Water's price amendments.