Little-known scheme could save you £100 on your water bills – check if you’re eligible

Homeowners are urged to check if they are eligible for a reduced water bill. WaterSure is a scheme that helps some people with their water bills and is available from most water suppliers.

To qualify, you must be on benefits and use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because your household has a certain number of school-age children. You also need to be on a water meter or waiting to have one installed.

If you get help through the WaterSure scheme, your water bill will be capped. This means you won’t pay more than the average metered bill for your water company’s area. In some cases, your normal metered water bill could be less than your company’s WaterSure cap. If this applies to you, you will only be billed for the amount of water you use.

You can ask your water company what their cap is if you want to check this before you apply. If you get your water from Welsh Water, you’re covered by WaterSure Wales, which works in a similar way to the English scheme.

Who qualifies for WaterSure?

To qualify for WaterSure you must:

• be on a watermeter or you’ve applied for one and are waiting for it to be installed, or you’re paying an assessed fee because it’s not possible to install a meter at your property.

• be sure BENEFITS

• take one high essential water use

The benefits you are entitled to depend on your provider. You should check what benefits they cover.

All providers offer WaterSure if you or someone in your household has one of the following benefits:

• Universal credit

• Retirement credit

• Housing benefit

• income-based jobseeker’s allowance

• Income support

• Employment Allowance and Income Support

• Work Tax Credit

• Child tax credit granted at a higher rate than the family element

Some water suppliers also offer WaterSure if you receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments. You should check with your water company if you are not sure if they cover these benefits.

What does “high essential water use” mean?

If your household has high essential water use, this means:

• someone in the household has a medical condition for which he must use a lot of water, or

• you have three children or more under 19 and in full-time education living in your household

The person with the condition or children under 19 must use the property as their primary residence.

People who have one of the following medical conditions will automatically qualify for WaterSure, as long as they meet all other eligibility conditions:

• desquamation (scaly skin disease)

• weeping skin disease (eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulcers)

• incontinence

• abdominal stomas

• kidney failure requiring home dialysis – although you won’t qualify for WaterSure if you already receive a contribution to your water costs from the NHS

• Crohn’s disease

• ulcerative colitis

You can also apply for WaterSure if there is someone in your household who has another medical condition that means you use higher than average amounts of water. Water companies will ask for details from a doctor.

You can’t apply for WaterSure if your household’s high water use is due to things like:

• watering a garden using something other than a watering can or sprinkler – for example a hose

• refilling a pond or a swimming pool with a capacity of more than 10,000 liters

How to apply for WaterSure

To apply for WaterSure, you need to complete a form from your water company. You will need to provide evidence that you qualify, such as a copy of your notice of benefit awards or evidence of your medical condition from your doctor, including how the condition is being treated and the effect it has on the amount of water you use.

Some companies will accept a stamp from your GP confirming your medical condition. At the end of the form there is space for a stamp, which the GP will usually provide free of charge. You should check that the supplier accepts a stamp before submitting your application.

If your water supplier does not accept a stamp, you will need to pay for a doctor’s certificate. Some water suppliers will reimburse the cost of the certificate.