Moving house with Scottish Water: register, meters and help
Short answer
For most homes in Scotland there is nothing to register with Scottish Water. The household water and waste water charge is set by your council tax band and collected by your council on Scottish Water's behalf, so registering for council tax is the step that matters. Only a home with a water meter is billed directly by Scottish Water.
Updated
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Household water suppliers you can switch to
Council tax
Where the unmetered water charge is collected
£532
Average annual household charge from 1 April 2026, per Scottish Water
Scottish Water serves all of Scotland, as the publicly owned provider for more than five million people. How water is paid for here differs from England and Wales, so the steps a mover follows differ too. This page sets out what, if anything, you need to do, what the charge is based on, and where help with the cost comes from.
Do I need to register with Scottish Water when I move in?
Scottish Water works differently from the companies in England and Wales, and for most homes there is no account to open.
- Scottish Water: the vast majority of domestic properties in Scotland are liable for unmetered water and waste water charges, which form part of an occupier's council tax bill and are collected by the councils on behalf of Scottish Water.
- mygov.scot: the cost of water, sewerage and drainage is included in your council tax bill and collected by your local council. Most homes in Scotland are provided with water and sewerage services by Scottish Water.
- Scottish Water: domestic customers with water meters are billed directly by Scottish Water rather than by their council. If the new home is metered, tell Scottish Water your move-in date and reading.
- Scottish Water: exemptions, such as occupancy by students or vacancy, are applied by local councils. Contact your council to ask about eligibility, not Scottish Water.
Sources: Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026); mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: household charges from April 2026 (read 13 October 2026)
- 1
Register for council tax with your council
Scottish Water's household charge is collected by your council as part of your council tax bill, so register for council tax at the new address.
- 2
Check the water lines on your council tax bill
Scottish Water publishes a water supply charge and a waste water collection charge for each council tax band. If you get a council tax discount, mygov.scot says it applies to water and sewerage too.
- 3
Contact Scottish Water only for a metered home
A home with a water meter is billed directly by Scottish Water rather than by the council, so tell Scottish Water your move-in date and reading instead.
What is my first Scottish Water bill based on?
- Scottish Water: unmetered charges are based on council tax band and billed through your local council, with discounts, reductions and exemptions applied where appropriate. Metered homes are billed directly by Scottish Water, and discounts do not apply to metered charges.
- Scottish Water: from 1 April 2026 the average annual household charge is £532, after a rise of £42. The 2026/27 combined water and waste water charge runs from £434.88 for Band A to £652.32 for Band D and £1,304.64 for Band H.
- mygov.scot: any council tax discount that you receive also applies to water and sewerage.
- Scottish Water: water charges apply if your house is connected to its mains, and waste water charges if it drains to its sewers. A private supply or a septic tank changes that, and Scottish Water can verify the services at the property.
Sources: Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: household charges from April 2026 (read 13 October 2026); mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026)
Can I get a water meter from Scottish Water, and can I switch back?
- Scottish Water: you can apply to have a meter installed on the water supply to your property at your own cost. Scottish Water provides a standard meter and installation costs are met by the homeowner. If you do not own the property, you need permission to install a meter.
- Scottish Water: a meter could be worth it if you want to reduce usage for environmental reasons and think you can pay less than you pay through council tax. Installation costs depend on the meter size and the type of installation, with VAT added, and are set out in its Schedule of Rates.
- Scottish Water: metered charges for domestic households are published in the charges section of its document hub, and metered homes are billed directly by Scottish Water. Discounts, reductions and exemptions that apply to council tax do not apply to metered charges.
- Nothing on Scottish Water's pages read for this guide states a period for returning to unmetered charges after a meter is fitted. Treat a meter here as a decision to check with Scottish Water first, not a free trial.
Sources: Scottish Water: metering FAQs (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026)
What if there is a leak, or a dispute with Scottish Water?
- mygov.scot: you can call Scottish Water's customer helpline for free on 0800 077 8778, and it lists an email and postal address too.
- mygov.scot: for a complaint, first go through Scottish Water's formal complaints procedure. If it is about drinking water quality you can then ask the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland to investigate; for anything else, contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
- Scottish Water: if you think the household charge on your council tax bill is wrong, for example because the home has a private supply or a septic tank, you can apply to Scottish Water's verification of service process. If a change is needed, Scottish Water tells the council and the council contacts you.
Sources: mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026)
Does Taupia switch my water from Scottish Water?
No, and nobody can. There is no water market for households, so there is no commission in this bill and nothing for a comparison site to sell you.
- Taupia keeps the Scottish Water account next to your energy, broadband and mobile: what it costs, when it is due, and each housemate's share on the rule your household sets.
- For energy, broadband and mobile, Taupia compares your tariff against the market and lines up a switch when one is worth it. Water is monitored only, because it cannot be switched.
- Taupia is free. You pay the water company directly, as you always have, and nothing changes without your approval.
Scottish Water at a glance
| What you are asking | What Scottish Water publishes |
|---|---|
| Area served | All of Scotland, as the publicly owned provider for more than five million people |
| Services | Water and sewerage. |
| Register as the new occupier | Through your council: the charge is part of council tax |
| Unmetered bills are based on | Your council tax band, on the council tax bill |
| Switching back after a meter | Not published. Meters are optional and fitted at your own cost |
| Social tariff | Not applicable: see help with bills above. |
| WaterSure | Not applicable: WaterSure is an England and Wales scheme. |
| Contact | Customer helpline 0800 077 8778, free to call, plus online contact |
Questions movers ask about Scottish Water
Can I switch from Scottish Water to a cheaper water company?
No. Scottish Water supplies households across Scotland, and household customers cannot choose a different water or sewerage provider anywhere in the UK. What you can look at is how you are charged, which for most homes here is set by the system described above rather than by a tariff.
Do I open an account with Scottish Water when I move in?
For an unmetered home there is no Scottish Water account to open: your council bills the water charge with your council tax, so registering for council tax at the new address is the step that starts it. Keep a dated note of the day you moved in all the same, because it is the date any later query about the charge will turn on.
What is an unmetered Scottish Water bill based on?
An unmetered Scottish home is charged for water and waste water according to its council tax band, and the charge appears on the council tax bill rather than on a separate water bill. Using less water does not change an unmetered bill, because nothing is measured. A metered home pays for the water recorded plus a standing charge.
Can I switch back to unmetered charges with Scottish Water?
Scottish Water lets households apply for a meter, but at the customer's own cost rather than free, and it does not publish a trial window for going back to council tax charging, so ask before you commit. Check the current terms with the company before you apply.
What help does Scottish Water give if I cannot afford the water bill?
Help comes through the council tax system rather than a water social tariff: a council tax discount or reduction also applies to the water and sewerage lines on the bill, and councils apply exemptions such as student occupancy. Ask early: CCW says companies can also offer payment plans and, in some cases, payment breaks.
Does Taupia switch my water supplier from Scottish Water?
No, because nobody can. Water is a regional monopoly with no household market, so Taupia monitors the bill rather than switching it. It sits alongside your energy, broadband and mobile, where switching is possible, with the due date and each housemate's share. Taupia is free and you keep paying the water company directly.
The rest of the water setup
The supplier hub lists every company. The move-home guides cover the steps that are the same whoever your company is.
Start here
Who is my water supplier?
RecommendedEvery household water company in the UK, with the area each serves and a link to its own moving-in guide.
Water bill setup when you move in
The company-neutral version: find the supplier, give notice at the old home, take the reading, check the first bill.
Water meter or rateable value
Whether a meter is likely to cost you less, with CCW's calculator and the switch-back windows company by company.
Moving out bills checklist
Closing the water account at the home you are leaving, with the notice each bill needs.
Do students pay water bills?
Shared student houses, halls and tenancies that include water.
Manage bills
The hub for the bills you keep paying: what each costs, when it renews, and who has paid their share.
Official references
Scottish Water: moving home
OfficialThe company's own page for telling it you have moved in.
Scottish Water: help with bills
OfficialThe company's published support for households struggling to pay.
Water UK: find your supplier
OfficialThe postcode checker that names the water and wastewater provider for any address.
CCW: help with bills
OfficialThe consumer body's list of every company's social tariff, WaterSure and payment support.
Keep the water bill with the rest
There is no water deal to switch to and no commission in this bill. Taupia keeps your Scottish Water account, move-in reading and dates next to your energy, broadband and mobile, and splits the bill with housemates on the rule you set. Free, and nothing changes without your approval.
What help does Scottish Water offer if I cannot afford the bill?
Sources: mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: household charges from April 2026 (read 13 October 2026)