Information for Customers in Yorkshire Relating to Coronavirus (Covid-19)

We understand this is a difficult time for many businesses and we want to help. In addition to providing a range of flexible payment plans, we have also put in place additional measures to support those most in need.

If you are struggling to make payments then please contact our dedicated team on 0345 1 24 24 20.

Yes, if Government guidelines have changed for your sector but you have decided to remain closed then please fill in this webform to let us know. Once you re-open, please complete this webform and we will resume charges.

If you have any concerns about making payments once you re-open then please do contact us om 0345 1 24 2420 and one of our advisers will be able to help. We offer a wide range of flexible payment plans and would be happy to find one that works for you. 

We appreciate this is a difficult time for businesses and we want to help. If your business has closed then we can apply a credit adjustment to cover your fixed charges (standing charges and Surface Water Drainage). We are in the process of identifying those businesses that we believe have closed, in line with Government guidelines, so that we can pro-actively apply this credit adjustment. However, if you haven’t heard from us then please fill out our online form which will ask you to provide details, including the date that your business closed and, if safe to do so, an up to date meter reading. Once your business re-opens then please notify us by completing this webform. If you require further support when charging resumes then we do offer a range of flexible payment plans and would be happy to find one that works for you.

For further details on our charges please click on this link.

Please note, to enable us to apply this adjustment we are undertaking system changes, which will be completed in the coming weeks. Should you receive a bill in the intervening period that doesn’t reference the credit adjustment then please don’t worry, you will be credited for the entire period that your business remains closed.

Following the introduction of temporary relief measures by Ofwat, we have made changes to our Terms and Conditions for customers in England and Wales, which can be viewed here.

We have suspended the water charges of businesses that we believe have temporarily closed, in line with Government guidelines to reduce the impact of COVID-19. If however you are continuing to operate out of your business property then please complete this online form and we will resume your charges.

We appreciate this is a difficult time for many businesses and we want to help. From the outset we have been working with the water regulator, Ofwat, to identify the best ways to support our customers that have been directly impacted by COVID-19.

We are pleased to be able to offer a repayment plan which we hope will provide our customers with greater flexibility and support during this time. Please get in touch with our team on 0345 1 24 24 20 to discuss the options available to you.

Please note, these measures are in place to help support those in need. If you are able to make payments then please continue to do so.

We understand this will be the case for many businesses. If you are a metered customer then in order to ensure that your bills reflect your actual consumption, please fill in our online form, and where it is safe to do so, submit two meter reads two weeks apart. We will then be able to amend your bill accordingly. If you are unmeasured (don’t use a meter) your charges are based on the rateable value of your property, which means your charges will remain the same. We are currently working with the Scottish and UK Government, regulators and our wholesalers to identify the best ways to support our customers during this time. Please continue to check our website for updates.

As members of the UK Water Retail Council, we are working with the Regulators, the UK Government, Wholesalers and other agencies to implement a range of measures to support businesses during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on developments.

In England, if a business ceases trading and moves out of the property, charges will continue up to the point that the business no longer has a legal right to occupy the property (e.g. a lease has ended naturally or has been terminated by a landlord). At that point we will issue a final bill which will includes charges up to the move out date. Please ensure you advise us if you return to the property so we can reopen your account. If you are moving out of your property then please do let us know the move out date and final meter read so that we can ensure your final bill reflects your actual consumption.

If you are having any issues making payments then we’d be more than happy to help you find a flexible payment plan that will work for you. Please contact one of our friendly advisers on 0345 1 24 24 20 who will be happy to help.

We recognise that this is a challenging time for many businesses. If you are having difficulties making payments then please don’t cancel your Direct Debit and instead contact us on 0345 1 24 24 20 so that we can help. We have put in place a range of additional measures to support our customers including flexible payment plans and payment deferral arrangements that you may be eligible for and we would be happy to discuss these with you.

Our Business Continuity Plans ensure that our organisation is prepared for a wide variety of incidents and events, including situations where employees are either unable to gain access to our offices, or where a significant number of employees are unable to work. Following Government guidelines, we have implemented our Business Continuity Plans and have a dedicated team in place who will be working safely to ensure we can continue to support our customers during this time.

In line with the Government guidelines and our commitment to do everything we can to keep our employees safe and well, our offices are temporarily closed. We are however continuing to work hard to maintain services for our customers. If you need to speak to one of our advisers then please be assured that we will continue to have a team on hand to deal with customer queries. You can get in touch using one of our online channels, including web chat and virtual assistant. Customers with a MyBusinessStream account can continue to access all the usual services including checking your bill, entering meter reads and making a payment. Yorkshire Water Business Customers can keep up to date via the dedicated micro-site here, and you can get in touch using these contact details. We will continue to keep these FAQs up to date. Please be assured we are doing everything we can to ensure we are answering customer calls as quickly as possible and providing additional support to those in need.

We'll continue to keep these FAQs up to date, please visit this page in the first instance if you have any queries.

The health and safety of our employees and customers is of upmost importance. We are working with our external partners, including meter readers, to ensure they are following Government guidelines and taking extra precautions at this time. If you have any concerns then please do let us know. We will continue to keep this under review and provide any updates on our website.

We are working closely with all our wholesalers to ensure that their resilience plans are strong and that every step is taken to minimise risks that may affect the delivery of water and waste water services. Currently we are not anticipating any disruption to supply. Water UK, the trade body for the water industry have also stated that it is “confident the water industry will continue to provide clean, safe and reliable drinking water for everyone”. We will continue to liaise with all our wholesalers and should the situation change then the relevant customers will be informed.

Given your business has been closed for a period of weeks, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure your water quality hasn’t been impacted and your pipes are working properly:

Stagnated water can lead to water quality issues. Make sure you run all your taps individually to ensure that the water in your plumbing system is fresh. Run the water until it is clear and feels cool.

Ensure that all appliances are thoroughly flushed through before use. Details on how to do this will be provided in the appliance’s instruction manual.

If your property has any water softeners or internal filters then please check that these are working correctly, as instructed in the manual guides.

Check for any leaks. Whilst not always visible, if your tap continues to drip when you turn it off or your toilet is continually running then this may mean you have a leak. If you suspect a leak then contact us on 0345 1 24 24 20.

For further details, please read this guide produced by the UK water industry body, Water UK.