If your property does not have a water meter, you’ll be charged based on your property’s rateable value (RV).
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1. Customer reference and invoice number
Your customer reference number is your unique 7 to 10-digit number, sometimes called your ‘billing reference number’. You’ll need this if you’d like to discuss your account with us.
Your invoice number is sometimes called your ‘bill number’. This is a unique number which identifies the particular bill that you’re looking at. We’ll ask for this number if you contact us with a specific query or issue relating to this bill.
2. Water and waste water - Supply point ID (SPID)
You’ll have one or more Supply Point IDs, sometimes referred to as a SPIDs, listed on your bill – one for each water and/or waste water connection that you have. A SPID is the unique identifier for your connection to the water or waste water network and helps us to locate your premises.
3. Billing period
This is the period of time that this bill relates to. It might help to check this initially if you think your bill is too high or too low as your bill may relate to a longer or shorter period of time than you were expecting.
4. Your account summary
This section shows a summary of the balances, payments and charges that have been considered to produce your bill.
Your account summary takes your previous balance from your last bill and subtracts any recent payments received. This then results in the ‘balance brought forward’ amount. The detail of how your charges have been calculated is broken down over the following pages.
5. Your charges this period
This section shows all of your charges for the current billing period as well as the total amount. More details can be found on page two of your bill.
6. Our latest news and updates
We use this box to inform you of any important messages, news or updates. This might include, for example, information on changes to your charges or seasonal water efficiency advice.
7. Your water-related carbon consumption
Every litre of water that you use, and every litre of waste water that goes down your drain, needs to be treated and transported to make it safe and available. Energy is used for each and every part of this process, so we encourage all of our customers to try to keep their water use to a minimum to reduce energy demand and prevent air pollution.
The information in this box provides an estimate of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that would be released into the atmosphere each year as a result of the water you’ve used and the waste water that you’ve produced.
8. Ways to pay
Here you’ll find various ways to pay your bill.
Did you know that Direct Debit is the quickest and easiest way to pay your bill and you can spread your costs across the year? Alternatively, you can pay your bills online via our simple payment form or by logging on to or registering for your My Business Stream account. You can find a list of ways to pay on the front page of your bill.
Choose the corresponding part of your bill
Scroll down to find the corresponding part of your bill
1. Fixed water charges
Your fixed water charges are calculated using a set daily rate which is multiplied by the number of days in the billing period to provide the total charge. These charges cover the maintenance of external pipes and pumps that supply water to, and remove waste water from, your premises. The rate you’re charged is determined by your premises location (or water wholesaler region) and the size of your water connection – larger diameter pipes are charged at a higher rate.
Your yearly (annual) fee is listed on the left for your reference.
The number of ‘units’ you’re being charged for is equal to the number of days in the billing period. The daily rate (the amount you’re charged each day) is shown in pence. You can find a full list of all your charges here.
These two figures combine to give the total charge for the billing period, which is shown along with the VAT code. Z (Zero) means the rate for VAT is zero, S (Standard) is the standard rate of 20%. If there is more than one row in this section, this is because you have more than one water meter.
2. Fixed waste water charges
Your fixed waste water charges are calculated using a set daily rate which is multiplied by the number of days in the billing period to provide a total. This is a fee for the upkeep of external pipes and pumps that remove waste water from your premises.
The rate you’re charged is determined by your premises location (or water wholesaler region) and the size of your connection to the network – larger diameter pipes are charged at a higher rate. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
3. Rateable value (RV) waste water charge
Unmeasured volumetric water and waste water charges are based on the rateable value of your premises. These charges can vary in England because they are determined uniquely by the Wholesaler that manages your water and/or waste water wholesale services. You can view more information about your charges at business-stream.co.uk/charges.
4. Surface water drainage
This is a fee for the cost of collecting and treating rain water which goes in to the public water and waste water network from your premises.
The rate that you’re charged is based on the surface area of your premises. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
If you believe the surface area of your property is recorded incorrectly then it’s possible to challenge this with your water wholesaler. We’re able to raise this challenge on your behalf with your wholesaler, who will review any evidence you can provide. If you believe your charges are inaccurate, tell us via our general enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
5. Highway drainage
This is a fee for the upkeep of the public roads drainage system and road flooding prevention.
6. VAT
Most of our services are zero rated (Z) but some are standard rated (S) or outside scope (O). For more information about which businesses pay VAT, and what to do if you think you’re being incorrectly charged, visit our VAT information page.
7. Total charges this period
Your total charges for this billing period will be displayed here.
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Got a question about Unmetered Bills in England? We’ve included our most asked questions below.
What period of time do the charges on my bill cover?
The period of time that your charges cover is displayed on the first page of your bill, above the account summary section. For customers who do not have a water meter, your bill will usually be issued to cover your charges for the next year. This bill will be issued in the first quarter of the year and can be paid in monthly instalments.
Why do you bill based on Rateable Value figures from 1990?
The method for charging business properties that do not have a water meter is laid out by regulators in the water industries market code. All business water retailers, like ourselves, are required to calculate these charges using the 1990 Rateable Value figure from your local authority.
Why have I received multiple bills?
Usually, you’ll only ever receive one bill from us. However, if we need to make an amendment on your account, this can result in receiving multiple bills or invoices through the post from us. We’ll always endeavour to let you know if this might happen by contacting you over phone or email.
When an amendment is made, we’re required to ensure that a full record of this change is provided to you. Sometimes it’s not possible to show an amendment on a single bill, so more than one may be generated in order to accurately display the steps that have been taken.
Our bills produced in numbered order, so even if you receive more than one on the same day, simply look for the invoice number at the top of the page. This can be found after the forward slash next to your customer reference number.
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We’re fully committed to improving our environmental performance and are certified to ISO 14001:2015. You can find out more in our environmental policy.
