Extra support with your water bills

With a range of support available, we can help choose the correct support for you.

You can talk to us over the phone Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm on 0800 980 8800. If you need help contacting us, we have a range of contact support options available. 

Please have the following information to hand:

• Income you receive
• Any debts you have
• Regular bills
• Other outgoings 
• Your Thames Water account number (you can find this at the top of your bill)
  
  

Financial support schemes

Waterhelp
WaterHelp can help if your water bill is a large proportion of your household income. This may be due to having a high water bill due to a large family, or that you're on a low income. 

Eligibility: If your bill is more than 5% of your net income, you may be eligible. This is also dependent on the number of occupants at the property. We currently offer a 50% discount on your bill if you qualify. 

Watersure
The WaterSure scheme can help customers who are:

• On a meter
• Struggling to pay their bill
• Using more water than average due to a large family or medical condition

This scheme can help cap your bills. We always use the average price based on what other customers pay. 

Eligibility: To qualify, someone in your household must receive a means-tested benefit. You will also need to have a water meter and either:

• A medical condition that requires extra water or
• Three or more children under the age of 19 living at the property making you eligible for child benefits

The application form can be found on their website and returning it to ecs@thameswater.co.uk

Water Direct
If you’re falling behind on your bills, Water Direct can help. With Water Direct, you can combine your yearly bill with any other bill arrears into one weekly payment. This payment then goes straight from your benefits.

Eligibility for Water Direct: 

• Have an active Thames Water account
• Have at least two failed payments

Is in £50 or more of debt.
You also need to receive at least one of these: 

• Income support
• Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Pension or Universal Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
   

Debt support
Our Customer Assistance Fund can help you to clear your debt if you’re struggling to pay previous water bills. If you qualify, we’ll match any money you pay towards your water debt, pound for pound. You’ll need to pay your current water bills, as well as making an affordable payment towards your debt each month. 

If you maintain regular payments for two years, we’ll pay off any remaining debt at the end of the scheme. It’s a long-term commitment on both sides. We hope that by making smaller regular contributions, you’ll be free of water debt after two years and your water bills will be more affordable going forward.

The qualifying criteria can be found here.