Sort your water bill when moving into a new home
Short answer
Your water company comes with the address, so there is nothing to compare. Enter the new postcode in Water UK's checker to find it, tell it the date you moved in, and read the meter that day if the home has one. Without a meter, you are charged on the value of the property.
Updated
2
Companies that can bill one home: one for water, one for sewerage
5 working days
Notice to give when you leave a home with a water meter
£0
Cost of having a water meter fitted
You cannot shop around for water, so setting it up comes down to the right company, the right date and, if there is a meter, the right reading. This guide covers those three, how you will be charged, and what to check if you rent.
Find your water supplier by region or company area
Household water suppliers are typically tied to where you live. Select your region or known company area to get the supplier and the correct website.
Not sure which company covers your exact postcode? Use the official checker to confirm your provider.
Open Water UK postcode checkerThe checker is run by Landlord TAP, a separate company, as noted on Water UK's page.
Selected supplier details
Select an area above to show the supplier details and website.
Some homes, especially on newer developments, are served by smaller local NAV providers. If results differ, use the postcode checker and your tenancy/sale documents as the final source.
Company areas come from CCW's list of water companies and each company's own website, read on 13 October 2026.
Who is my water supplier at a new address?
You do not pick a water company. The address decides it, so the only job is finding out which one serves the property.
- Ofwat: household customers are not able to change their water supplier or sewerage provider, and the company that supplies your property depends on where you live.
- Water UK's checker takes a postcode and returns the water and wastewater provider for it. CCW, the Consumer Council for Water, points to the same checker.
- Water and sewerage can come from different companies. Citizens Advice says you could get a separate sewerage bill, or your water company might include sewerage charges on its bill on the sewerage company's behalf.
- Some sites are served by a NAV, a company Ofwat has approved to provide water or sewerage services to specific sites instead of the usual company for the area.
- If the checker does not list your address, Water UK suggests asking a neighbour, your estate agent or the property developer.
Sources: Ofwat: changing supplier (read 28 September 2026); Water UK: find your supplier (read 28 September 2026); CCW: which water company supplies my area? (read 28 September 2026); CCW: find your water company (read 28 September 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home and water bills (read 28 September 2026)
How do I set up a water account when I move in?
Five steps for England and Wales. If the home has a meter, the reading is the one that matters most.
- 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.
- 2
Give notice at the home you are leaving
If your old home has a water meter, give that company at least five working days' notice so it can arrange a final reading. Otherwise you could be charged for water used after you move out.
- 3
Read the meter on move-in day
If the new home has a meter, take a reading as soon as you move in so your first bill is accurate. Meters are usually outside in a chamber, on the footpath or in the garden, or indoors, for example under the sink.
- 4
Tell the water company you have moved in
Check the company's website for how to tell it you have moved in, and give it the date and your reading. If you are staying with the same company, give it your new address.
- 5
Check the first bill
Check that it starts from the date you moved in, uses your reading if there is a meter, and shows whether sewerage is billed by the same company or separately.
Sources: Citizens Advice: moving home and water bills (read 28 September 2026); CCW: what if I move to a property with a meter? (read 28 September 2026)
Will I pay by water meter or rateable value?
It depends on whether the home has a meter, and the move itself can settle the question.
- CCW: your bill is worked out in one of two ways, by measuring the water you use with a meter, or from the value of your property without measuring your use.
- With a meter you pay for the water you use plus a standing charge. Without one you are charged on the value of the property.
- If the new home already has a meter, you pay metered charges and cannot switch to an unmetered bill. Citizens Advice adds that you cannot ask for the meter to be removed.
- A water company can install a meter when you move in, but not if you have already had an unmetered bill for that property. It tells you when you report the move.
- Moving into a new build? A meter is usually fitted already, and it may not be possible to remove it. CCW says all new houses have had to have one since 1990.
- No meter, and you think one would cost less? Water companies fit meters for free, and CCW says you can switch back within two years if you are unhappy, except in areas of England where compulsory metering is introduced.
Sources: CCW: how is my water bill calculated? (read 28 September 2026); CCW: what if I move to a property with a meter? (read 28 September 2026); CCW: can my water company install a meter before I move in? (read 28 September 2026); CCW: should I get a water meter fitted? (read 28 September 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home and water bills (read 28 September 2026)
Do I pay the water bill if I rent?
Usually, but check before you open an account, because some rents already include it.
- Citizens Advice: tenants either have a water bill in their own name or pay for water as part of the rent, which is particularly common for council tenants. Check your tenancy agreement if you are not sure.
- If you pay your landlord for water rather than the water company, you are being resold water, and you should not be charged more than the water company would charge, plus a reasonable administration fee.
- Landlords and letting agents in England and Wales can give water companies the details of whoever is responsible for the bill through Landlord TAP, the service Water UK points them to. Ask whether yours has, and check the account starts on the day your tenancy does.
- Check the dates on any backdated bill. Citizens Advice says a bill covering a previous tenancy, or a time you did not live there, goes to your landlord.
Sources: Citizens Advice: paying your water bills if you're renting (read 28 September 2026); Water UK: information for landlords (read 28 September 2026)
Do you set up a water bill in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Not in the same way. The steps above are for England and Wales.
- Scotland: 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 get also applies to water and sewerage.
- Northern Ireland: domestic water charges are deferred, and the Department for Infrastructure pays NI Water a subsidy in place of household contributions.
Sources: mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 28 September 2026); NI Water: 2026/27 charges (read 28 September 2026); Department for Infrastructure: water charges (read 28 September 2026)
Your water bill at a new address, case by case
| If your new home | What it means for the bill |
|---|---|
| Has a water meter | Read it on move-in day. You pay by the meter and cannot switch to an unmetered bill. |
| Has no meter | You are charged on the value of the property. The company may fit a meter when you move in, unless you have already had an unmetered bill there. |
| Is a new build | A meter is usually fitted already, and it may not be possible to remove it. |
| Includes water in the rent | Your landlord pays the water company, and should not charge you more than the company would, plus a reasonable administration fee. |
| Is in Scotland | Water and sewerage are on your council tax bill, collected by the council. |
| Is in Northern Ireland | Domestic water charges are deferred. |
Water bill questions when you move home
How do I find out who my water supplier is?
Enter the postcode in Water UK's supplier checker. It shows the water provider and the wastewater provider for the address, which can be different companies. If your address is not listed, Water UK suggests asking a neighbour, your estate agent or the property developer.
Can I choose my water supplier?
No. Ofwat says household customers cannot change their water supplier or sewerage provider, because the company depends on where you live. What you can sometimes change is how you are charged, by asking for a meter.
Do I need to set up a water account when I move in?
Yes. Tell the water company for the new address the date you moved in, with a meter reading if the home has a meter. If you are staying with the same company, tell it your new address.
Can I have the water meter removed if I move into a metered home?
No. If your new home already has a meter, you pay metered charges and cannot switch to an unmetered bill or ask for the meter to be removed.
Do tenants pay the water bill?
Usually, either in their own name or as part of the rent. Check your tenancy agreement. If your landlord charges you for water, they should not charge more than the water company would, plus a reasonable administration fee.
How much notice do I give my old water company?
If your old home has a water meter, give at least five working days' notice so the company can arrange a final reading. Otherwise you could be charged for water used after you move out.
Finish water setup alongside the rest of the move
The renter guide explains every bill in a first rented home. The rest cover the bills water is usually set up with.
Start here
Setting up bills when renting
RecommendedThe first-time renter guide: what each of the five bills is, who charges it, and what drives the price.
Water meter or rateable value
Once the account is open, the question is how you are charged. Compare a metered bill with a rateable value one.
Who is my water supplier?
Find the water and sewerage companies that serve any address.
Do students pay water bills?
How water charges work for student houses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Moving house utilities checklist
Every bill to sort when you move, and when to act on each.
Council tax setup guide
Register for council tax alongside water.
Council tax and water by stage
A stage-by-stage plan for the two bills that come with the address.
Split bills with housemates
How to divide a water bill in a shared house.
Cite this page
Taupia. "Sort your water bill when moving into a new home". Last updated 28 September 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/water-bill-setup
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 other bills, and splits the bill with housemates on the rule you set. You pay the water company directly, and nothing changes without your approval.