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. 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. 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. Property 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 rateable value (RV) of your premises. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
If you believe the RV of your premises has been calculated incorrectly, then it’s possible to challenge this with the Scottish Assessors. Please visit their website at saa.gov.uk.
4. 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.
5. 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 Scotland? 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.
How do you calculate my charges if I don’t have a meter installed?
The method for charging business properties in Scotland 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 Live Rateable Value figure as given by the Scottish Assessors Association which was updated in April 2018. You can find out more about this here.
Can I have a water meter fitted?
We recommend using our reassessment calculator to help give an indication of whether you might be better off having a water meter installed. Installing a meter means that instead of being charged based on your Rateable Value, we’ll read your water meter regularly and calculate your charges based on the amount of water that you consume.
If the reassessment calculator indicates that having a meter fitted may be a good option for you, you may want to consider applying formally for reassessment. During this process, we’ll liaise for you with Scottish Water as they review your circumstances and see if a meter can be fitted.
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.
How can I get a discount on my bill?
We have a number of ways in which customers can save money on their bills. This could be by signing up for direct debit, eBilling or by signing up to a one, two or three year contract.
Find out how much you could save with an instant quote here, or get in touch with one of our water experts to discuss the options available.
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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.
