Your bill
Understanding your water bill
Your bill is calculated in one of two ways:
- Metered charges are based on the amount of water you use. This is measured using a water meter. If your home is metered, the account type will show as metered on the top right hand side of your bill below your customer number. The meter serial number can be found on page three of your bill along with your latest meter readings.
- Unmetered charges are based on your home’s rateable value and not the amount of water you use. We are required by law to use the rateable values set by the Inland Revenue in 1990. Rateable values are different for each property. Ofwat has more information.
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.
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.
What are your charges?
The charges you pay are set according to price limits that we agree with the industry regulator Ofwat every five years.
Need help paying?
If you are finding it hard to pay your water bill, we can help.
Unusually high bill
There is often a simple reason why your bill or meter reading is higher than usual.
Other ways to pay
You can also pay in the following ways free of charge. During the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, please only use one of the first two ways to pay listed below:
- pay by credit or debit card – call our automated line 0345 600 1 019
- telephone/internet/mobile banking – quote sort code 40-02-50 and account number 61229737
- pay at your bank with cash or cheque*. Normally no fee is payable at your own bank
- post office – fill in the payment slip and take it with your bill and payment in cash
- PayZone – take your bill and payment in cash to your nearest PayZone outlet
- by post – write your customer number on the back of your cheque and post it with the payment slip to: BWBSL, 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 1WA
Cheques should be made payable to BWBSL. Do not send cash or post dated cheques*.
* cheque payments are only accepted where the cheque is issued by a UK bank or building society recognised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Related downloads
- Direct debit form - metered customers (94kb)
- Direct debit form - unmetered customers (94kb)
- Your charges explained 2019-20 - Bristol Water and Wessex Water (384kb)
- Your charges explained 2019-20 - Wessex Water (4.43mb)
- Your charges explained 2020-21 - Bristol Water (743kb)
- Your charges explained 2020-21 - Wessex Water (3.26mb)