How to Get Your Water Bill Debt Written Off

Are you worried about paying your water bills? This is the right place for help. Every month, over 170,000 people come to us for advice on debt problems.

Citizens Advice reports a record number of people seeking help for energy debts, with almost eight million borrowing money to pay their energy bills in the first half of 2023.¹ We understand that it’s scary when you can’t pay your water bills, but don’t worry; we’re here to help.

In this guide, we’ll share:

• What to do if you can’t pay your water bill.
• How to work with your water company to reduce your debt.
• The WaterSure scheme and how it can help you.
• What happens if you don’t pay your water bills.
• How to legally write off some of your water debt.

We’ll also talk about other ways to lower your water bills and where to get help with your water bill debt. We know it’s a hard time, but remember, you’re not alone.

Let’s get started.

WaterSure Scheme and How it can help you

There is a support scheme for low-income households in the UK that helps families with children of school age or has a disability that requires the use of a lot of water. You’ll also need to be on a water meter or be waiting to have yours installed.

The WaterSure Scheme caps your water bill to the average metered bill in the area the company deals with. Citizen’s Advice has more information on the WaterSure eligibility criteria plus lots of other information that may help you cap your water bill.

Can the water company cut you off?

The short answer is no. If you are a domestic, or non-business, customer, then water companies legally cannot disconnect your water supply. This applies even if you have a debt with them. 

It gets a bit more complicated if you are a tenant though. If the account you have with the water company is in your name, then it can’t be disconnected. If the account is in your landlord’s name, then action will be taken against them. 

Disconnection only really happens if the water company believes that the property is being used for business purposes, or if the property is empty.

However, if your water supplier is threatening to cut you off, you have consumer rights! I’ve always found reading the Water Industry Act 1999 useful in supporting yourself.

What action can they take?

If you have water debt, then the company providing the service will want to get that money. They’ll likely send you several notices and reminders to pay up first of all, and then they may escalate it to them taking legal action for unpaid water bills.

If you have ignored their attempts to contact you and rectify the bill, the next step is for them to pass your debt on to a debt collection agency. This might mean that instead of owing the water company, you now owe the debt collection agency.

They could even take things one step further and apply to have a County Court Judgment taken out against them. This could result in bailiffs coming around to your home and taking goods to sell to meet the cost of your debt.

If you do receive a debt letter, make sure you check the debt is yours. Debt collectors can sometimes make mistakes, and as we can see from this forum user above, they weren’t even aware they had a debt.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

Writing off your water debt

That’s the basics on what might happen if you don’t pay your water bill, or forget to pay it. But can your water debt be written off?

There are a few bits and pieces of information about this that you should take into account, which we will go through to guide you on how you might be able to get your water debt written off. 

Negotiate with your supplier

As soon as you receive notice that you’ve gone into the red on your water bill, you should get in touch with your supplier. If you contact them sooner rather than later, they might agree to a favourable repayment scheme where you agree to pay a set amount towards the debt each month.

Being active could pay off too – they may reduce the interest rate and remove any charges they might be tempted to charge you if you prove to be diligent and forthcoming in your repayments.

They may even get your water debt written off after a time, so it’s worth contacting them as soon as you can.

Water trust funds

Lots of water companies run charitable funds, offering help with water debt and even bankruptcy claims in some situations.

For instance, the Thames Water Trust Fund is available to anyone who is a customer with Thames Water and is struggling with their debts. Check to see if your water provider offers a similar fund.

There are also some companies who run ‘restart schemes’. These schemes involve you starting a regular payment plan and the payments you make end up being matched by the scheme.

Keeping up with payments and you could end up with your water debt written off.

Lump sums

Another way you might be able to get your water debt written off is if you reach out to your water provider and offer to pay a lump sum.

If you are under financial duress, you can often agree on lucrative and useful deals with your service provider, and if you explain your financial situation to them, they might agree to freeze interest and charges. 

Once this is done, you’ll have to accrue the necessary funds. This doesn’t have to be the whole sum of the debt, but you could offer them a lump pay-off sum to put towards your outstanding bill.

This gesture often results in the water company getting your water debt written off.

Your water provider may also be able to provide you with a social tariff to help reduce the amount you pay on your water bill. You’ll need to be on a low income or receive certain benefits, but they may be able to help so it’s worth asking in my opinion!

Getting Help With Water Bill Debt

There are millions of people all over the UK that are struggling to keep up with essential bills like water, so you’re not alone. However, there are plenty of resources you can use such as the Money Advice Service, National Debtline, StepChange, and Citizens Advice. They can all provide you with helpful advice on what your next steps should be, as well as your rights.

If you’re interested in learning more about the multiple energy debt solutions available out there, please take a look at the table below.

Those are some of the ways you can get your water debt written off. Below, we go through some of the more commonly asked questions about water debt and debt collection in general. 

How can I reduce my utility debt?

We all know that with the cost of living crisis, our bills have increased, water included – but how can you keep costs down? I’ve found some simple things you can do to help reduce your consumption:

1. Keep up to date with payments to avoid owing your supplier any money in the first place.
2. Be mindful of how much water you’re using. This could mean turning the tap off when brushing your teeth, limiting how long you’re in the shower, and washing clothes at a lower temperature.
3. Regularly check your water meter. If something doesn’t seem right, call your provider and ask them to come and check your meter is reading correctly.
4. Limit how long you use the hose. There’s nothing quite like cooling down in the garden during the summer, but using your hose can quickly rack up your water bill.

References

1. Citizens Advice – Record numbers seek help for energy debt before winter even hits