The money your water company owes you
You cannot switch water supplier. There is no other company to take your money to, which is exactly why the law gives you something else: a set of minimum standards, and a fixed payment every time one of them is missed. It is called the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, and most people have never heard of it.
Act on these within three months
Sewer flooding is worth the most money in the scheme, and it is what a sewage discharge is most likely to have caused. Flooding outside your home has to be claimed in writing; flooding inside should be paid once the company knows, but often is not. Either way the safe move is the same: put it in writing, inside three months of the day it happened.
Sewage flooded inside your property
Wastewater from a company sewer entered the inside of your property.
You are owed: A sum equal to your annual sewerage charge — at least £150, at most £1,000
It is tied to your sewerage bill, not to how bad the flooding was. If it happens again within twelve months, the floor rises by £100 and the ceiling by £500 each time. Your company should pay once it knows — but if you have heard nothing within 20 working days, claim in writing, and do it inside three months of the flood.
Build my claim letterSewage flooded outside your property
Sewage from a company sewer flooded your garden, drive or outbuildings.
You are owed: A sum equal to half your annual sewerage charge — at least £75, at most £500
People routinely assume only flooding indoors counts. It does not. This one must be claimed in writing within three months, and a repeat within twelve months raises the floor by £50 and the ceiling by £250.
Build my claim letterCheck your account for these
The rest are supposed to be paid automatically, as cash or as credit on your bill. We are not going to send you off writing letters for money you may already have been given. Look at your account first, then chase only what is missing.
| If this happened | They owe you |
|---|---|
|
Your water was cut off and not restored on time The supply was still off after that deadline. |
£20, then a further £10 for each full 24 hours |
|
You were not warned about a planned interruption No notice arrived, or supply was not back by the stated time. |
£20 |
|
Your water pressure was too low It dropped below that on at least two occasions of more than an hour within 28 days. |
£25, once per year |
|
The company missed an appointment Nobody came, or it was cancelled too late. |
£20 |
|
You were not told when they were coming You were given no window at all. |
£20 |
|
Your complaint went unanswered No full reply arrived in time. |
£20 |
|
A billing query went unanswered No reply arrived in time. |
£20 |
|
Your meter went unread No actual reading was taken in that period, where a reading was possible. |
Not part of the Welsh scheme |
If they say no
Companies handle their own complaints first, in two stages, with 10 working days for each reply. After their final answer you can take it to the Consumer Council for Water — the statutory body for water customers, free to use. If CCW's mediation does not settle it, they can refer the dispute to independent adjudication.
CCW: 0300 034 2222 (England), 0300 034 3333 (Wales), or ccw.org.uk ↗
Amounts shown are for Wales, last checked against the published scheme in October 2026. Show England amounts
This is guidance, not legal advice. The scheme sits in regulations and each company publishes its own version. If a figure here does not match what your company says, theirs is the one to argue about — and CCW will tell you who is right.