Understanding your bill

The information below will tell you everything you need to know about your bill.


About your bill

The type of bill you receive from us will depend on what services we provide to you.

If your bill only has the Wessex Water logo on it, then both your water and sewerage services are provided by us.

If your bill has both the Wessex Water and Bristol Water logos on it, then your water is supplied by Bristol Water and your sewerage services are provided by us.

If you receive your water from Bournemouth Water or Cholderton and District Water Company, you'll receive two bills: one for your water supply and another from us for your sewerage services.

Your bill will be sent by Bristol Wessex Billing Services Ltd (BWBSL), a joint venture company owned by Wessex Water and Bristol Water. This joint arrangement relates to billing and payments only.

The look of your bill

As we do not provide both water and sewerage services to all our customers, the look of your bill will depend on what services you receive from us.

To find out what each part of your bill means, click the area you would like to learn more about.

Customer number

Your customer number is 8 digits long. You may need to quote this number if you call us or submit a form online.​

Company logos

If your bill has the Wessex Water logo only, both your water and sewerage services are provided by us. If there is another water company logo on your bill or you have received a separate bill from another water company, your water is supplied by them and your sewerage services are provided by us.

What do you pay for?

Your bill is made up of the following charges:

  • Water – the charge for supplying your home with fresh tap water.
  • Sewerage – the charge for taking away and cleaning your wastewater.
  • Surface water – the charge for taking away rainwater that enters our sewers after landing on your property – you may be entitled to a surface drainage water allowance.
  • Highway drainage – the charge for taking away the water that enters our sewers from roads and footpaths.
  • Standing charges – the charge for our other services, such as customer service, maintaining and improving our infrastructure and reading meters.

How your bill is calculated

Our charges are set annually according to price limits agreed with Ofwat, the industry regulator, every five years.

We then use these charges to calculate your bill. Whether or not your property is metered will impact how much you pay.
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