A simpler way to pay
The south east of England is a unique spot. We are the only area in England and Wales where customers have traditionally received two separate bills: one for clean drinking water and another for wastewater services.
We know from your feedback that managing two bills can be confusing and, frankly, a bit of a chore. Our research showed that 75% of you would prefer a single combined bill. We listened, and that is why we introduced One Bill.
Our partnership with Southern Water
We have recently signed a new five-year contract with Southern Water to continue providing the One Bill service for our shared customers.
By joining forces, we have made things much simpler. You only need to contact one company (South East Water) to make payments, ask questions about your bill, or let us know you are moving house.
Efficiency that benefits everyone
Beyond making life easier, the One Bill service creates operational savings for both South East Water and Southern Water. These savings are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they are reinvested directly into water quality improvements and infrastructure. By reducing our costs through this partnership, we can keep future bills lower than they would otherwise have been.
If you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you. Please click here to leave us a message.
FAQs
The Basics & Getting Started
Most customers have already moved to this service. If you are a shared customer of South East Water and Southern Water, your charges will combine automatically on your next scheduled bill. You don't need to do anything
Once you receive your first One Bill, your Southern Water account closes automatically. They will keep a record of your past payments, but all future billing is managed by us.
We worked with Southern Water to match records. This involved tidying up typos or initials to ensure we have the right person. If we couldn't match you perfectly, your One Bill might arrive a little later while we verify the details.
No. One Bill simply puts both charges in one place. We remain separate companies, and any price changes still only occur on 1 April each year.
Please disregard your Southern Water payment card. You can use your current South East Water card for your new joint payments.
Payments & Accounts
Your clean and wastewater charges will merge into one plan. If you pay by Direct Debit, we’ll handle the switch and Southern Water will cancel their old arrangement. If you pay by Standing Order, you will need to update the amount and recipient with your bank.
Yes. If your instalment counts differed between companies, we will default to the higher number (e.g., 12 instalments instead of 8) to keep your monthly payments as manageable as possible.
In most cases, any debt or credit on your Southern Water account will transfer to your first One Bill. If a balance can't be moved (due to legal action or unmatched details), Southern Water will contact you directly to settle up or issue a refund.
Yes. You can use our My Account (opens in a new tab)service to view your One Bill, make payments, and let us know if you’re moving house.
Any existing rebates will transfer to your One Bill automatically. If you think you qualify for a new rebate because your rainwater drains to a soakaway and not into public sewers, you can apply here.
Technical & Emergency Support
Emergencies and blocked drains
Southern Water still manages the wastewater pipes. For emergencies, blocks, or pollution, please call them on 0330 303 0368(opens in a new tab).
Difficulty paying
If you’re struggling with your bill, call our dedicated team on 0333 000 2468(opens in a new tab). We have several support tariffs and plans to help.
Changes to standing charges
For metered customers, we now bill wastewater standing charges "in advance" to match the way we bill for clean water. This keeps the billing consistent.
Direct Debit incentives
Since you will have one less Direct Debit on your bank statement, please check if this affects any "active DD" incentives offered by your bank.
Data Protection
We have a formal agreement with Southern Water to share data for billing purposes.
Both companies bill and collect charges based on a legal obligation to supply water services and a corresponding duty to collect the charges for them. This means we process data in accordance with the Data Protection Act, where a legal obligation exists. Southern Water has outsourced their legal obligation to us to act on their behalf. Because of this, there is no need for separate customer consent as both parties are exercising their statutory duties.