Water bills

Rateable value water bills: how unmetered bills are worked out

Short answer

An unmetered water bill in England and Wales is usually your home's rateable value multiplied by your water company's rate per £1, plus a fixed charge, worked out separately for water and sewerage. The rateable value is printed on your bill, was set before April 1990 and cannot be reassessed. A meter can cost less if you use little water.

Updated 15 October 2026

31 Mar 1990

Valuation date behind rateable value water bills

19

Water companies whose 2026-27 unmetered rates the calculator uses

2

Separate charges: one for water, one for sewerage

Open CCW's water meter calculator Back to manage bills

If your home has no water meter, your bill has nothing to do with how much water you use. It comes from a valuation fixed before April 1990, multiplied by rates your water company sets each April. This page explains where the figure comes from, works out the 2026-27 bill for the companies it covers, and shows how to check whether a meter would cost less.

Calculator

Work out an unmetered water bill from your rateable value

Enter the rateable value from your bill and choose your companies. The calculator multiplies it by each company's 2026-27 rate per £1 and adds its fixed charges, for water and for sewerage separately.

Rateable value (£)

Printed on your unmetered water bill. If the bill shows a notional value instead, use that.

Who supplies your water?

Who takes your wastewater (sewerage)?

Your estimated 2026-27 bill

Enter the rateable value from your bill to see an estimate.

To see what the same household might pay on a meter, CCW's calculator estimates a metered bill from how many people live with you and how you use water.

Compare with CCW's water meter calculator

Covers Thames Water, Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Southern Water, Wessex Water, South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Affinity Water, South East Water, SES Water, Portsmouth Water, South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, using each company's own 2026-27 charges scheme, read on 15 October 2026. Hafren Dyfrdwy is not covered because its charging zones are published only on a map, and nor are flat charges with no rateable value element.

Taupia's arithmetic on each company's published 2026-27 unmetered charges, for a home connected to the public sewer for rainwater. Your bill can differ: a home whose rainwater does not drain to the sewer pays less for sewerage, some companies give small discounts, for example for Direct Debit, and a social tariff or WaterSure changes the amount. Check the estimate against your own bill.

The basics

What is the rateable value of a house?

It is an old valuation for a tax that no longer exists, kept alive because water companies still use it to charge homes without a meter.

Wessex Water: rateable values were given to homes between 1967 and 1990 by the District Valuer's Office of the Inland Revenue. They were an assessment of a property's annual rental value, used to work out the tax owed.
Citizens Advice (England): before April 1990, every property in England and Wales was given a rateable value based on how much it could be let for, and some water bills are charged as a percentage of it. The amount varies from one water company to another.
Wessex Water: before the water industry was privatised in 1989, this was how all customers were charged, and it stayed the way to charge customers without a meter. The higher the rateable value, the more you pay.
Thames Water: the government froze rateable values in 1990, so it uses the values as at 31 March 1990.
CCW: since 1990, all new houses have had to have a water meter installed, so rateable value bills belong to older homes.

Sources: Wessex Water: rateable value explained (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: paying for water without a meter (England) (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: rateable value charge, including 2026-27 charge area rates (read 15 October 2026); CCW: how is my water bill calculated? (read 15 October 2026)

Finding it

Where do I find the rateable value of my house?

On the bill itself. There is no public lookup that replaces it, because the valuation list it came from stopped being updated in 1990.

Thames Water: you can find the rateable value for your property on your bill.
Thames Water: if there is no rateable value for your property, it uses a notional value, worked out from the rateable values of similar properties in the same area. That applies, for example, where a home had no rateable value on 31 March 1990, was created by dividing or merging properties, or has had its floor space increased by at least 50%.
Citizens Advice: if your property has changed a lot since its value was set, you cannot have the rateable value reassessed, but you may be able to get a water meter, or a fixed charge based on council tax banding or a notional rateable value.
Anglian Water's scheme, for example, says it assesses a value itself where the listed rateable value has become inappropriate, such as after a conversion, and that a customer can dispute that assessment within a month.

Sources: Thames Water: rateable value charge, including 2026-27 charge area rates (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: notional value charge (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: paying for water without a meter (England) (read 15 October 2026); Anglian Water: household charges scheme 2026-27 (read 15 October 2026)

The sum

How is a rateable value water bill calculated?

Two parts for each service: the rateable value multiplied by the company's rate per £1, and a fixed charge. Water and sewerage are charged separately.

Thames Water: it multiplies the rateable value by the rate for clean water, then by the rate for wastewater, and adds fixed charges that cover its running costs.
Thames Water's own illustration: a rateable value of £100 at £2.40 for clean water is £240, at £1.40 for wastewater £140, and fixed charges of £81.76 and £126.69 bring the total to £588.45.
Citizens Advice: an unmeasured charge is often made up of a standing charge and a charge that varies, and the amount varies from one company to another.
The rates change each April and differ by company, and some companies also set different rates for different parts of their area. Thames Water, for example, publishes seven charge areas with their own rates.
If your water and sewerage come from different companies, each one charges its part. Thames Water's table lists council areas where it charges only for wastewater because another company supplies the water.

Sources: Thames Water: rateable value charge, including 2026-27 charge area rates (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: paying for water without a meter (England) (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: household charges scheme 2026-27 (read 15 October 2026)

Changing it

Can I get my rateable value reassessed?

No. What you can change is how you are charged.

Citizens Advice: you cannot have the rateable value reassessed.
Wessex Water: the values were last updated in 1990 and can no longer be changed, because the District Valuer's Office was disbanded, so changes to a property since 1990 are not reflected.
Thames Water's charges scheme gives the same answer: rateable values are no longer reviewed, and no new ones are issued.
The way out of a rateable value bill is a water meter. Wessex Water says switching to one is free, and that if it cannot fit a meter it charges its assessed charge instead.

Sources: Citizens Advice: paying for water without a meter (England) (read 15 October 2026); Wessex Water: rateable value explained (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: household charges scheme 2026-27 (read 15 October 2026)

Meter or not

Is a water meter cheaper than paying on rateable value?

It depends on how many people use the water. CCW's calculator turns that into a number for your home.

Citizens Advice: as a rule of thumb, you could pay less on a meter than on the rateable value if you have fewer people in the property than bedrooms.
CCW's water meter calculator, updated with 2026-27 charges, estimates a metered bill from your household and how you use water, so you can compare it with the unmetered figure above.
CCW says its calculator's figures are only estimates, and that they may vary with your appliances and water use.
Whether you can go back to unmetered charges afterwards depends on your company, so check before you apply. The water meter guide sets out each company's rule.

Sources: Citizens Advice: paying for water without a meter (England) (read 15 October 2026); CCW: water meter calculator, updated with 2026-27 charges (read 15 October 2026)

Is a water meter cheaper? Each company's rules

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Do rateable values apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

No. Both nations charge for household water differently.

Scotland: Scottish Water's unmetered household charges are set by council tax band, and most homes pay them through their council tax bill.
Northern Ireland: NI Water's 2026/27 charges announcement confirms that domestic water charges remain deferred.

Sources: Scottish Water: average household water bill to increase by £42 from April 2026 (read 15 October 2026); NI Water: 2026/27 charges (31 March 2026) (read 15 October 2026)

Step by step

How do you work out your own rateable value bill?

Four steps, from the bill in your hand to a comparison with a meter.

1
Find the rateable value on your bill
An unmetered water bill prints the rateable value your company uses. If your home has no rateable value, the bill uses a notional value worked out from similar homes nearby.
2
Choose your water and sewerage company
Pick the company that supplies your water, and the one that takes your wastewater if it is a different company. Some companies charge different rates in different areas.
3
Multiply the value and add the fixed charges
Multiply the rateable value by each company's rate per £1 and add its fixed charge, checking for a minimum charge. The calculator on this page does this with the 2026-27 rates.
4
Compare it with a metered estimate
Put your household into CCW's water meter calculator. If a metered bill comes out lower, you can ask your water company for a free meter.

Sources: Thames Water: rateable value charge, including 2026-27 charge area rates (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: notional value charge (read 15 October 2026); CCW: water meter calculator, updated with 2026-27 charges (read 15 October 2026)

Where Taupia fits

How does Taupia help with an unmetered water bill?

Household water cannot be switched, so there is no commission in it for anyone. Taupia keeps the water bill next to your energy, broadband and mobile, with the amount, the due date and each housemate's share on the rule your household sets.
Taupia does not change how your water company charges you. If a meter looks cheaper, you ask your water company for one.
For energy, broadband and mobile, Taupia compares deals and switches only once your household approves. Nothing changes without your approval, and Taupia never moves your money.
Taupia is free.

Company by company

What does each water company charge per £1 of rateable value in 2026-27?

The rates the calculator uses, read on each company's own charges scheme on 15 October 2026.

The calculator covers Thames Water, Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Southern Water, Wessex Water, South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Affinity Water, South East Water, SES Water, Portsmouth Water, South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water.
Some schemes print their rates in pence per £1, and the table shows them in pounds. Sewerage figures are for a home connected to the public sewer for rainwater; a home whose rainwater does not drain to the sewer pays less.
Thames Water: its seven charge areas follow council boundaries, which the calculator lists against each area, and it adds its fixed charges only where the rateable value is £50 or more.
Anglian Water: fixed charges rise with the rateable value band, and the sewerage figure is for a home connected for foul water, surface water and highway drainage.
Severn Trent Water: the sewerage figure is for a home connected for used water and surface water: a fixed charge of £88.40 plus the £19.68 highway drainage charge every connected home pays. Zones 1 to 8 have a minimum water charge of £243.61.
United Utilities: the sewerage rate covers foul, surface water and highway drainage, with no sewerage standing charge.
Yorkshire Water: the sewerage fixed charge is the £36.83 standing charge plus the £85.47 surface water standing charge. Outside the York Waterworks area, the minimum water charge is £176.60.
Southern Water: the sewerage fixed charge is the £44.67 standing charge plus £19.16 for highway drainage and £50.00 for surface water drainage. The minimum charges are £137.23 for water and £209.54 for sewerage.
Wessex Water: standard unmetered customers in the Thames Water area pay no sewerage standing charge.
South West Water: fixed charges depend on whether it provides one service or both, and the sewerage fixed charge is lower for a rateable value of £50 or less.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water: homes built from April 1990 to March 2000 pay its flat Uniform Service Charge instead, which the calculator does not cover.
Affinity Water: the fixed charge applies only where the rateable value is more than £50.
South East Water: it stops charging on rateable value when a home changes hands and moves the new occupier to an assessed charge, so these rates only apply to customers already billed this way.
SES Water: the fixed figure is the £56.87 standing charge plus the £12.02 Water Support charge it adds to every household bill. Its Northern area 1 pays a flat licence fee instead.
Portsmouth Water: the minimum charge is £128.75.
South Staffs Water: there is no unmetered standing charge, and the minimum charge is £123.52.
Not covered: Hafren Dyfrdwy, whose charging zones are shown only on a map, and flat charges with no rateable value element, such as Anglian Water's Hartlepool area and SES Water's Northern area 1.

Unmetered charges per £1 of rateable value, 2026-27

Company	Water	Sewerage
Thames Water	Area 1: £1.3507 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 2: £1.6176 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 3: £1.8018 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 4: £1.7654 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 5: £1.7971 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 6: £2.0779 per £1, plus £81.76 a year. Area 7: £2.4758 per £1, plus £81.76 a year.	Area 1: £0.6307 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 2: £0.9056 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 3: £0.9826 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 4: £0.9692 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 5: £1.0045 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 6: £1.1874 per £1, plus £126.69 a year. Area 7: £1.381 per £1, plus £126.69 a year.
Anglian Water	£0.2922 per £1, plus £513.45 a year up to a rateable value of £1,000, £974.45 a year up to a rateable value of £5,000, and £2,357.45 above that.	£0.2336 per £1, plus £475.95 a year up to a rateable value of £1,000, £830.55 a year up to a rateable value of £5,000, and £1,894.35 above that.
Severn Trent Water	Zone 1 (Shropshire): £1.9879 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 2 (Worcester and Gloucester): £1.9037 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 3 (Warwickshire): £1.8532 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 4 (Leicestershire): £1.9374 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 5 (Nottinghamshire): £1.9879 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 6 (Derbyshire): £1.9879 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 7 (Staffordshire): £1.9879 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 8 (Central): £1.8532 per £1, plus £111.37 a year, minimum £243.61. Zone 9 (Chester): £1.6513 per £1, plus £111.37 a year. Zone 10 (a small area on the England and Wales border, below zone 9): £1.7354 per £1, plus £140.08 a year.	Zone 1 (Shropshire): £1.3575 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 2 (Worcester and Gloucester): £1.271 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 3 (Warwickshire): £1.2698 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 4 (Leicestershire): £1.3276 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 5 (Nottinghamshire): £1.3575 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 6 (Derbyshire): £1.3575 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 7 (Staffordshire): £1.35 per £1, plus £108.08 a year. Zone 8 (Central): £1.2673 per £1, plus £108.08 a year.
United Utilities	£1.982 per £1, plus £119.98 a year.	£2.932 per £1, with no fixed charge.
Yorkshire Water	Outside the York Waterworks area: £2.5044 per £1, plus £91.45 a year, minimum £176.60. York Waterworks area: £1.4303 per £1, plus £78.39 a year.	£3.2199 per £1, plus £122.30 a year.
Northumbrian Water	£0.8905 per £1, plus £154.68 a year.	£1.1848 per £1, plus £180.64 a year.
Essex & Suffolk Water	£1.4225 per £1, plus £108.28 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
Southern Water	£2.211 per £1, plus £42.85 a year, minimum £137.23.	£2.143 per £1, plus £113.83 a year, minimum £209.54.
Wessex Water	£2.9441 per £1, plus £8.00 a year.	Wessex Water area: £2.8974 per £1, plus £8.00 a year. Thames Water area: £2.8431 per £1, with no fixed charge.
South West Water	Water and sewerage both from South West Water: £3.0094 per £1, plus £237.21 a year. Water only from South West Water: £3.0094 per £1, plus £257.03 a year.	Water and sewerage both from South West Water: £5.2899 per £1, plus £192.21 a year up to a rateable value of £50, and £223.00 above that. Sewerage only from South West Water: £5.2899 per £1, plus £212.02 a year up to a rateable value of £50, and £242.82 above that.
Bristol Water	£1.7441 per £1, plus £53.71 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
Bournemouth Water	£1.0041 per £1, plus £35.00 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water	£1.6448 per £1, plus £188.57 a year.	£2.4711 per £1, plus £311.65 a year.
Affinity Water	Central region: Colne, Lee, Rickmansworth and North Surrey areas: £1.3342 per £1, plus £84.80 a year. East region: Tendring area: £1.7823 per £1, plus £84.80 a year. Southeast region: Folkestone and Dover area: £1.7823 per £1, plus £84.80 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
South East Water	West: Mid Southern: £1.7673 per £1, plus £46.28 a year. East: Eastbourne: £2.9358 per £1, plus £46.28 a year. East: Mid Sussex: £2.9358 per £1, plus £46.28 a year. East: West Kent: £2.7497 per £1, plus £46.28 a year. East: Mid Kent: £2.437 per £1, plus £101.40 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
SES Water	Southern area: £1.1914 per £1, plus £68.89 a year. Northern area 2: £0.7744 per £1, plus £68.89 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
Portsmouth Water	£0.6511 per £1, plus £40.85 a year, minimum £128.75.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
South Staffs Water	£1.2687 per £1, with no fixed charge, minimum £123.52.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.
Cambridge Water	£0.9674 per £1, plus £42.80 a year.	Water only. The sewerage company for the area charges for sewerage.

Rateable value FAQ

Questions about rateable value water bills

How do I find the rateable value of my house for water?

Look at your unmetered water bill: the rateable value your company uses is printed on it. If your home had no rateable value in 1990, or has been split, merged or extended a lot since, the bill uses a notional value that the company worked out from similar homes nearby.

How is a rateable value water bill calculated?

Your company multiplies the rateable value by its rate per £1 for water and adds a fixed charge, then does the same for sewerage, which may be a different company. Some companies also apply a minimum charge, and rates differ by company and sometimes by area within a company.

Can my rateable value be changed or reassessed?

No. Citizens Advice says a rateable value cannot be reassessed, and Wessex Water says the values were last updated in 1990 and can no longer be changed. If your bill feels too high for how much water you use, the way out is asking your company for a free water meter.

Do new homes have a rateable value for water?

No. CCW says all new houses built since 1990 have had to have a water meter installed, and Thames Water says no new rateable values are issued. A home without its own value, such as one split from an older house, is charged on a notional value or an assessed charge.

Is a water meter cheaper than rateable value?

Often for small households. Citizens Advice's rule of thumb is that you could pay less on a meter if fewer people live in the property than it has bedrooms. CCW's water meter calculator estimates a metered bill for your household so you can compare it with your unmetered charge.

Does Taupia earn anything if I get a water meter?

No. Household water has no supplier to switch to, so there is no commission in it. Taupia keeps the water bill alongside your energy, broadband and mobile, with the amount, the due date and each housemate's share, and it is free.

Related pages

Where to go next

The meter guide covers the decision this page leads to. The others cover the rest of the water bill.

Start here

Is a water meter cheaper than rateable value?

Recommended

CCW's rule of thumb by household size, what renters can ask for, and each company's switch back window.

Official references

Cite this page

Taupia. "Rateable value water bills: how unmetered bills are worked out". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/manage-bills/water-rateable-value

Keep the water bill with the rest

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Rateable value water bills: how unmetered bills are worked out

Short answer

Work out an unmetered water bill from your rateable value

Your estimated 2026-27 bill

What is the rateable value of a house?

Where do I find the rateable value of my house?

How is a rateable value water bill calculated?

Can I get my rateable value reassessed?

Is a water meter cheaper than paying on rateable value?

Do rateable values apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

How do you work out your own rateable value bill?

Find the rateable value on your bill

Choose your water and sewerage company

Multiply the value and add the fixed charges

Compare it with a metered estimate

How does Taupia help with an unmetered water bill?

What does each water company charge per £1 of rateable value in 2026-27?

Unmetered charges per £1 of rateable value, 2026-27

Questions about rateable value water bills

Where to go next

Keep the water bill with the rest