Water help

We need your Supply Point IDs (SPIDs). These are located on your invoice. Ideally we also need your meter numbers, which are printed on your water meter. It would also be useful to have a copy of a current bill for each supply or site. This helps us to ensure correct meter sizes and locations.

Once you’ve signed your contract it will be passed to our Head Office for processing. We’ll then place the order to transfer your services which will take around 14-28 days to complete.

If you’re a Scotland Water customer and you've been charged an Early Termination Charge (ETC) we’ll gift you up to a maximum of £300 in account credit. Send us your final invoice from your previous supplier and we’ll make payment to your bank account within 28 days.¹

We’ll read your meter twice a year. If it is safe for you to read your own meter, we also recommend providing meter reads monthly so that we can bill you as accurately as possible. Meter reads should be provided by the last working day of the month to be included in your next bill. 

Take a look at our guide to meter reading. 

The easiest and quickest way to submit your meter reads is via our online portal, Customer Zone. Alternatively, you can email them to meterread@clearbusiness.co.uk or contact our Customer Service Team on 0333 014 3131. 

 You can also submit meter reads through our Live Chat service. Just click on the speech bubble at the bottom of the screen. 

Give us a call and we’ll help you locate it. We receive market data that should contain details of where your meter is and how to read it. If this doesn’t sound right to you, please let us know. We’ll contact your wholesaler to find the meter, and move or replace it if needed. If we can’t read your meter because this isn’t up to date, we’ll work to get it read as soon as possible.

If you don’t have a meter your charges will be calculated using the Rateable Value or size of your property, rather than your actual usage. If you’d prefer to have a meter, we can request that one is installed at your property once you’ve switched to us. Installing a meter means that you’ll only pay for the water that you use, alongside your fixed water charges.

Rateable Value (RV) is the value assigned to your property based on its size, location and other factors. It may be used to calculate your drainage charges or calculate your water usage if you don’t have a meter installed and don’t apply for assessed charges.

In Scotland, RVs are revalued every 3 years and are recorded by the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA). You can view your RV and see who your local valuation board is at www.saa.gov.uk. 

 In England, the RV used to calculate your charges will depend on your wholesaler. Some wholesalers use the last RV recorded by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and others use the RV recorded in the valuation list as of 31 March 1990.

Yes, most people are able to get a meter and being aware of how much water we use is of huge benefit to the environment. We can submit an application to your Wholesaler on your behalf to get a meter installed.

We’ll send a meter reader twice a year. Where we have been unable to read your meter we may contact you for a read or estimate your usage based on previous reads. 

We’ll take over from your previous supplier and give them a read to prepare your final bill as part of the transfer process. We’ll usually read your meter every six months after that. If it is safe for you to do so we’d recommend submitting readings to us on a monthly basis to ensure you are billed accurately. 

You can do this in a matter of clicks through your exclusive online portal Customer Zone.  You can also submit meter reads through Live Chat or email meterread@clearbusiness.co.uk or call us on 0333 014 3131. 

In the event of an emergency you should contact the wholesaler in your local area directly. The wholesaler in your area can be found on any invoice, or your welcome pack. Alternatively log in to Customer Zone for your supply information. If you have an emergency call us on 0333 014 3131 and we’ll give you the number for the wholesaler in your area. 

If you own a farm and need some advice on how to plan for an emergency, here is a helpful guide on what to do if you experience supply problems. 

Call a plumber in the first instance. Most leaks are internal and remain your responsibility to fix. If you suspect you have a leak you should try and get it fixed as soon as possible, as you will have to pay for any water that goes into your property.

If you believe that there is an issue with your water service, you can contact our Customer Service Team via Livechat or visit the website of the wholesaler in your area.

If your premises is in Scotland, you can also sign up to receive SMS alerts of any issues in your area here.

In the event of an emergency you should always contact the wholesaler in your area directly. The wholesaler in your area can be found on any invoice, your welcome pack or in Customer Zone. You can also contact our Customer Services on 0333 014 3131 and we'll give you the number to dial. 

All business water services you take from Clear Business will be billed on a monthly basis. We issue bills from 5th of the month and Direct Debits are collected shortly after your invoice date.

Yes, you can view the last 36 months of bills anytime online via Customer Zone. 

VAT is charged based on your business activity, which is determined by HM Revenue and Customs. If you do not pay VAT on your water services you will need to declare this so that we can confirm your position with HM Revenue and Customs. If you have not done so already, you can do this here. 

If you have any other questions on any of the topics covered above, please give our Customer Service team a call on 0333 014 3131. We're here to make life simpler for businesses like yours. 

If your account with us is in credit, you can request a refund by contacting our Customer Service Team on 0333 014 3131. If your invoices were not paid by Direct Debit, we will require confirmation of the bank account the bills were paid from in order to process the refund. Our Customer Service Team will let you know if there's any other information we may require to approve the refund. Refunds are processed by BACS. Once a refund request is approved, we will process the refund within 28 days.