SoLow

If you have low water consumption you may be on our SoLow tariff. Since 1 April 2015, SoLow hasn't been available to new applicants and by 2022 we’ll phase it out and move you onto our standard tariff. There are a number of other tariffs available which maybe more suited to your circumstances.

Charges for 2020-21

SoLow	Fixed charge per year	Charge per cubic metre
Water supply	£29	£1.5300
Sewerage services (including surface water drainage)	£73.00*	£1.7319*
Sewerage services (without surface water drainage)	£45.00*	£1.6282*

SoLow
Water supply

Fixed charge per year
£29

Charge per cubic metre
£1.5300

SoLow
Sewerage services (including surface water drainage)

Fixed charge per year
£73.00*

Charge per cubic metre
£1.7319*

SoLow
Sewerage services (without surface water drainage)

Fixed charge per year
£45.00*

Charge per cubic metre
£1.6282*

*includes a fixed charge of £21.00 and £0.0741 per cubic metre charge to cover highway drainage.

Frequently asked questions

Why is SoLow being phased out?

When putting together our 2015-2020 Business Plan, we discussed fairness and affordability with 50,000 of you and as a result, pledged to ensure our charges are fair for all. Phasing out SoLow addresses three key issues:

The subsidy you receive on your SoLow account is paid by other customers, costing them each an extra £7 per year.
When we introduced our SoLow tariff, we also undertook a widespread metering programme. The water efficiencies this brings means that 80% of households with meters now in general, use as much water as SoLow customers.
Data analysis shows SoLow was on average benefiting smaller, rather than water efficient households. So while some benefitted, others, such as large families, lost out despite their best efforts to use less water.
We did not make this decision lightly and consulted the Consumer Council for Water throughout the process.

What will change on my bill?

You'll notice we've added a standing charge, but to counter this, you’ll pay less for each cubic metre of water you use.

What's a standing charge and why's it being added to my bill?

A standing charge is like the phone line rental you pay to your telephone provider. It’s an annual charge that contributes to our ongoing operational costs and surface water and highway drainage wastewater services. It’s not related to water usage.

What's a cubic metre of water?

If you flush the toilet once a day for a year, this equates to a cubic metre. A cubic metre is used to calculate water usage and appears as a volumetric charge on your bill.

On our Standard tariff, the volumetric charge is lower than SoLow. So if you move to a Standard tariff, although you’ll pay an additional standing charge, your water usage costs will be lower.

What's the average water consumption for SoLow customers?

It’s around 45 cubic metres per year.

Are you able to change your tariffs?

If we can see some tariffs are unsustainable and unfair to others, then yes.

How much will my bill change by?

This depends upon your individual water consumption. If you’re unsure, contact us on 03457 919 155 and we’ll be happy to help.

I'm worried I won't be able to afford the new bill?

If you’re worried about your new bill, there may be other ways we can help such as arranging for a home water efficiency audit to see if you can reduce your usage further. Call us on 0800 169 3630 to find out more. We also have:

a Low Income Tariff for Eligible (LITE) for households with little disposable income (your application’s independently assessed by the Citizens Advice Bureau). AquaCare Plus and WaterSure if you’re in receipt of state benefits or have a medical condition.

How much of my bill goes to shareholders?

On average you pay £1.10 per day for water and sewerage services – less than the price of supermarket bottled water. Only 6p of this is profit. In our Business Plan consultation, over 50,000 of you said you were satisfied with this amount.

Is water efficiency still a priority?

Yes, absolutely. Water efficiency is really important to us and we’re committed to our Love Every Drop campaign and investing in school education programmes.

We can arrange for an approved plumber to carry out a free home water audit and fit free water-saving devices. We also offer free water meters, discounted water butts and water-saving garden packs – all of which help you manage your water usage, reducing your bills.

To find out more about water efficiency or to discuss your tariff, call us on 03457 919 155. You can find out when we are open here.

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Charges for 2020-21