Who is my water supplier?
Short answer
Your water company is decided by your address, so there is nothing to compare. Enter the postcode in Water UK's checker to see the water and the sewerage company for the property, which can be two different firms, or find your area in the list below. Household customers cannot switch water supplier anywhere in the UK.
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Household water suppliers you can switch to, in any UK nation
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Companies that can bill one home: one for water, one for sewerage
5 working days
Notice CCW says to give your old company before you leave
Household water is the one bill where the company comes with the address. There is no market to shop in and no supplier comparison to run, which makes the question simpler than it looks: find the company, register on the right date, and know what the first bill is based on. The table below lists every household water company in the UK with the area it serves and a guide to moving in with it.
Household water companies by area
| Company | Area served | Services |
|---|---|---|
| Thames Water | London and the Thames Valley | Water and sewerage |
| Anglian Water | The East of England | Water and sewerage |
| Severn Trent Water | The Midlands, from the Bristol Channel to the Humber and from the Welsh border to the East Midlands | Water and sewerage |
| United Utilities | The North West of England | Water and sewerage |
| Yorkshire Water | The Yorkshire region | Water and sewerage |
| Northumbrian Water | North East England | Water and sewerage |
| Essex & Suffolk Water | Essex and Suffolk | Water only. Anglian Water provides sewerage, and the two companies now send one combined bill from Essex & Suffolk Water. |
| Southern Water | Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and East and West Sussex | Water and sewerage |
| Wessex Water | The south west of England | Water and sewerage |
| South West Water | Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Dorset and Somerset | Water and sewerage |
| Bristol Water | Bristol and surrounding areas | Water only. Wessex Water provides wastewater services in its area, and Bristol Water tells Wessex Water when you move. |
| Bournemouth Water | Bournemouth and surrounding areas | Water only. Water UK's postcode checker names the wastewater company for your address. |
| Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water | Most of Wales, Herefordshire and parts of Deeside | Water and sewerage |
| Hafren Dyfrdwy | North east and mid-Wales | Water and sewerage |
| Affinity Water | North and West London and the surrounding Home Counties | Water only. Thames Water or Anglian Water provides wastewater, depending on where you live. |
| South East Water | The South East of England | Water only. South East Water bills wastewater on behalf of your wastewater company, so both arrive on one bill. Water UK's postcode checker names the wastewater company. |
| SES Water | Surrey, Kent and South London | Water only. Water UK's postcode checker names the wastewater company for your address. |
| Portsmouth Water | Portsmouth and surrounding areas | Water only. Portsmouth Water says your wastewater company is usually Southern Water. |
| South Staffs Water | The West Midlands, South Staffordshire, South Derbyshire, North Warwickshire and North Worcestershire | Water only. Water UK's postcode checker names the wastewater company for your address. |
| Cambridge Water | Cambridge and the surrounding area, from Ramsey to Melbourn and from Gamlingay to Balsham | Water only. Water UK's postcode checker names the wastewater company for your address. |
| Scottish Water | All of Scotland, as the publicly owned provider for more than five million people | Water and sewerage |
| NI Water | All of Northern Ireland | Water and sewerage |
How do I find my water supplier by postcode?
Three routes, in order of effort: a bill, the postcode checker, or the area list below.
- Ofwat: your bill should tell you which company supplies your water and sewerage services. At a new address you will not have one yet, which is what the checker is for.
- Water UK's checker takes a postcode and returns the water and wastewater provider for it. Water UK says the tool is run and managed by Landlord TAP, a company separate to Water UK, so a problem with a result goes to Landlord TAP rather than to Water UK.
- CCW, the statutory consumer body for water in England and Wales, points to the same checker: if you are unsure who supplies your area, enter your postcode into Water UK's postcode checker.
- If your address is not listed, Water UK says the postcode may not be in the tool yet. It suggests contacting Landlord TAP, or asking a neighbour, your estate agent or the property developer.
- Some sites, particularly new developments, are served by a NAV: a local company Ofwat has appointed to provide water or sewerage, or both, instead of the regional company. CCW lists them separately, and the checker is the way to find out if your home is one.
- Taupia does not check your postcode. The list below is a directory built from CCW's company list, and the checker it links to is Water UK's.
Sources: Ofwat: your water company (read 13 October 2026); Water UK: find your supplier (read 13 October 2026); CCW: which water company supplies my area? (read 13 October 2026); CCW: find your water company (read 13 October 2026)
Can I switch water supplier?
No. Every search for a water supplier comparison ends at the same place, and it is worth knowing why.
- Ofwat: under the current legislation, household customers are not able to change their water supplier or sewerage service provider. The water or sewerage company that supplies your property will depend on where you live.
- Ofwat: in 2002 the UK Government said it would not introduce competition for household customers, because the cost and complexity of the regulation required would outweigh any benefits. Business customers in England have been able to choose a retailer since April 2017; households have not.
- Households in Scotland and Northern Ireland cannot choose a supplier either. Most homes in Scotland get water and sewerage from Scottish Water, and in Northern Ireland the Department for Infrastructure funds NI Water in place of household charges.
- What you can change is how you are charged. In England and Wales a household can ask for a free meter, and the water meter guide covers when that is likely to cost less.
Sources: Ofwat: changing supplier (read 13 October 2026); mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Department for Infrastructure: water charges (read 13 October 2026)
Why do I get two water bills?
Because water and sewerage are separate services, and in parts of England they come from separate companies.
- Ofwat: you may receive your water supply from one company and your sewerage services from another. This means that you may get two separate bills.
- Ofwat lists regional companies that provide both water and sewerage, and regional companies that provide water services only.
- How sewerage reaches you varies. Anglian Water says Essex & Suffolk Water now sends one combined bill for both, South East Water bills wastewater on behalf of the wastewater company, and Bristol Water passes your move on to Wessex Water, which provides wastewater in its area.
- On the list below, Essex & Suffolk Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, Affinity Water, South East Water, SES Water, Portsmouth Water, South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water supply water only. Each company's page says who handles sewerage where the company itself says so, and Water UK's checker names it for any address.
- Ofwat: a sewerage bill covers three services, collecting and treating foul sewage, surface water drainage and highway drainage. If you can show that rainwater from your property does not drain to the public sewer, you may be entitled to a surface water rebate from the sewerage company.
- Two bills do not mean you are paying twice. Check that the water bill and the sewerage bill cover the same address and the same dates, and that neither company has also charged the other service.
Sources: Ofwat: your water company (read 13 October 2026); Ofwat: unmetered customers (read 13 October 2026); CCW: find your water company (read 13 October 2026); Anglian Water: changes to Essex & Suffolk Water bills (read 13 October 2026); South East Water: help paying your water bill (read 13 October 2026); Bristol Water: I'm moving home (read 13 October 2026)
Who supplies water in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
One public provider each, and neither sends most households a water bill at all.
- Scotland: mygov.scot says most homes get water and sewerage from Scottish Water, and the cost is included in your council tax bill and collected by your local council. Any council tax discount you receive also applies to water and sewerage.
- Scottish Water: domestic customers with water meters are the exception and are billed directly by Scottish Water. Exemptions, such as student occupancy or an empty home, are applied by councils.
- Northern Ireland: the Department for Infrastructure pays a subsidy to NI Water in lieu of domestic consumers' contributions, and NI Water's 2026/27 charges confirm domestic charges remain deferred. There is no household account to open.
- The Ofwat and CCW rules on this page cover England and Wales. The two pages linked in the table cover what a mover in Scotland or Northern Ireland actually has to do.
Sources: mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: unmetered household charges FAQs (read 13 October 2026); Department for Infrastructure: water charges (read 13 October 2026); NI Water: 2026/27 charges (read 13 October 2026)
What do I do about water when I move?
Five steps that are the same whichever company you land with. The company pages below add the company's own form and terms.
- CCW: if your new home already has a water meter, you must pay metered charges based on your usage and cannot switch to an unmetered bill, so the opening reading matters.
- CCW: notify your old water company at least five working days before leaving to get a final bill, or you may be charged beyond your move-out date.
- If you are staying in the same company's area, tell it your new address rather than opening a second account. If you are crossing into another company's area, you close one account and open another, and the two will not talk to each other.
Sources: CCW: what if I move to a property with a meter? (read 13 October 2026); Water UK: find your supplier (read 13 October 2026)
- 1
Find the company for the new postcode
Enter the postcode in Water UK's checker. It names the water provider and the wastewater provider, which can be two different companies, then open that company's page below for its own move-in route.
- 2
Give notice at the home you are leaving
CCW: notify your water company at least five working days before leaving to get a final bill. Otherwise you may be charged beyond your move-out date.
- 3
Read the meter on move-in day
CCW: if the new home has a meter, take a reading as soon as you move in to ensure accurate billing. A dated photo settles any later argument about the opening figure.
- 4
Tell the company you have moved in
Use the company's moving home form or phone line, with the date your tenancy or ownership started and the reading. The company pages below link to each form.
- 5
Check the first bill
It should start on your move-in date, use your reading if there is a meter, and say whether sewerage is on the same bill or arrives separately from a second company.
Do renters and students pay the water bill?
Usually, either in their own name or through the rent. The tenancy agreement is the thing to read.
- Citizens Advice (England): if you are a tenant you may either have a water bill in your own name, or pay for water as part of your rent. If you are not sure, check your tenancy agreement.
- Citizens Advice: if you pay your landlord for water instead of the water company, you are being resold water, and you should not be charged more than the amount the water company would charge, plus a reasonable administration fee.
- Citizens Advice: if a bill's dates refer to a previous tenancy or a time when you did not live in the property, send it to your landlord.
- Students get a council tax exemption, but there is no equivalent for water in England and Wales: the bill belongs to whoever occupies the home unless the rent or the halls contract includes it. The student guide covers the shared-house cases.
Sources: Citizens Advice: paying your water bills if you're renting (read 13 October 2026)
Does Taupia find or switch my water supplier?
It does neither, and it says so. There is no water market, so there is no commission in this bill and nothing for a comparison site to sell you.
- Taupia keeps the 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.
Questions people ask about finding their water company
Who is my water supplier by postcode?
Enter the postcode in Water UK's find your supplier checker. It returns the water provider and the wastewater provider for that address, which can be two different companies. Water UK says the tool is run by Landlord TAP, a separate company, and that an address missing from it means the postcode is not in the tool yet.
Can I switch water supplier?
No. Ofwat says household customers are not able to change their water supplier or sewerage service provider under the current legislation; the company depends on where you live. Business customers in England have had a choice since April 2017, households have not, and Scotland and Northern Ireland each have a single public provider.
Why do I get two water bills?
Because your water comes from a water-only company and your sewerage from the regional water and sewerage company. Ofwat says you may receive water from one company and sewerage from another, which means two separate bills. Check both cover the same address and dates, and that neither has charged the other service too.
What if my address is not in the postcode checker?
Water UK says the postcode may not yet be included in the tool. It suggests contacting Landlord TAP, which runs the checker, or asking a neighbour, your estate agent or the property developer. A new development may also be served by a NAV, a local company Ofwat has appointed instead of the regional one.
Is water included in council tax?
In Scotland, yes: mygov.scot says the cost of water, sewerage and drainage is included in your council tax bill and collected by your local council, and any council tax discount also applies to water. In England and Wales it is a separate bill from the water company, and in Northern Ireland households are not charged for water.
Does Taupia find or switch my water supplier?
Neither. Taupia does not check your postcode, and no one can switch a household's water supplier. The list on this page is a directory built from CCW's company list, and the checker it links to is Water UK's. Taupia monitors the water bill alongside energy, broadband and mobile, and it is free.
Once you know the company
The company pages in the table carry each company's own move-in route. These guides cover the steps that are the same everywhere.
Start here
Water bill setup when you move in
RecommendedFind 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, and the switch-back window company by company.
Moving out bills checklist
Closing every account at the home you are leaving, with the notice each one needs.
Council tax and water by stage
A stage-by-stage plan for the two bills that come with the address.
Do students pay water bills?
Shared student houses, halls and tenancies that include water.
Manage bills
The hub for the bills you keep paying.
Keep the water bill with the rest
There is no water deal to switch to and no commission in this bill. Taupia keeps your 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.