Millions missing out on water bill support due to 'unmeterable' homes
11 June 2025, 11:33
A scheme designed to help households manage rising water bills has been criticised for excluding millions of homes due to a key eligibility condition.
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WaterSure, is a scheme that caps water bills for vulnerable households, offers to support to those on benefits and families with three or more children under 19, and people with medical conditions that require high water use.
Major suppliers including Thames Water and Yorkshire Water participate in the scheme, which limits charges to the average metered bill in a customer's local area.
However, to access the scheme, households have to either have a water meter installed or be waiting for one to be fitted.
This is a requirement that is proving to be a major barrier for many UK residents.
According to Water UK, the average annual water and wastewater bills have risen by £123, increasing from £480 to £603 - or about £10 per month.
But despite this financial strain, many people cannot access WaterSure because their homes are classed as "unmeterable".
WaterSure says that where a property is unable to install a water meter, they should be "paying an assessed charged because a meter can't be fitted."
The Consumer Council for Water says around 40% of homes in England and Wales are without a water meter.
Common reasons include multiple or shared water supplies, inaccessible pipework or unsuitable home structures for plumbing. Flats with communal hot water systems are also often ineligible.
In London alone, it's estimated that up to 70% go homes can not have meters installed.
This metering loophole blocks millions from accessing Thames Water's WaterSure cap, which limits annual water and wastewater bills to £639. Yorkshire Water applies the same metering condition for customers seeking financial relief under the scheme.
To qualify for WaterSure, a household not only has to have one or be waiting for a water meter, but also meet specific benefit-related criteria - such s receiving a form of tax credit or housing someone with a water-intensive medical condition.
With water costs continuing to soar, campaigners are now calling for urgent reforms to make support more accessible - regardless of a metering status.
In a statement, Abdi Mohamed, from disability equality charity Scope, said: “Many disabled people have no choice but to use more water, whether they have a water meter or not.
“All water companies should provide fully accessible customer services to ensure disabled people can access support. Consumers cannot choose their water supplier, and more needs to be done to ensure consistency and fairness for all disabled people.
“For many, there’s no escaping high water bills and water companies need to recognise the extra costs of all of their disabled customers.”
