Unmetered charges

Unmetered charges apply to homes that are billed based on their property’s rateable value.

What unmetered customers pay for

Unmetered bills are made up of standing charges and poundage charges.

The standing charge is the same for both water supply and sewerage. This covers the cost of billing and reflects some of the fixed costs for providing water and/or sewerage services.

The rest of your bill is based on a poundage charge per rateable value. The higher the rateable value of your home, the more you will be charged. It also varies based on whether a property’s rainwater drainage returns to our sewer. If yours doesn’t, you could be eligible for a rainwater drainage allowance.

What are rateable values?

Rateable values were given to all UK homes between 1967 and 1990 by the District Valuer’s Office of the Inland Revenue. They were an assessment of the annual rental value of a property and used to calculate the amount of tax owed. 

All water companies use rateable values to charge unmetered customers. Find out more about how they impact your bill.