Short answer: Norwich City Council will stop collecting water charges with rent from 1 April 2026. From that date, all council tenants will pay Anglian Water directly, and Anglian Water will set up the new accounts automatically.
🧭 What’s changing?
Until now: Norwich City Council collected water charges on behalf of Anglian Water and included them in tenants’ rent.
From 1 April 2026:
The council will no longer act as the collector.
Tenants will receive bills directly from Anglian Water.
No action is required from tenants — Anglian Water will create the accounts and contact you.
💡 Why is this happening?
This shift follows a series of legal rulings (Southwark 2016, Kingston 2020) which found that councils collecting water charges were effectively buying and reselling water, not simply acting as agents. Because councils were only allowed to charge a small admin fee, many — including Norwich — must now refund tenants the difference.
💷 What about rebates?
Around 8,000 current tenants are receiving rebates for overpayments made between 2013 and 2024.
Former tenants will be able to apply in 2026.
Rebates are being issued in batches and should be completed by end of 2025.
🟢 What you need to do
Nothing right now. Your Anglian Water account will be created automatically before April 2026. If you’re due a rebate, the council will contact you.
If you want, I can also break down:
how the new billing will work (metered vs unmetered)
what support Anglian Water offers for low‑income households
how this change affects Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
Which angle would help you most?
Here’s how your water billing will work once Norwich City Council stops collecting charges and Anglian Water takes over on 1 April 2026. The key difference is whether your home is metered or unmetered, because Anglian Water bills these in completely different ways.
💧 1. If your home has a water meter
You’ll pay for the exact amount of water you use.
What your bill will include
A fixed standing charge (covers pipes, maintenance, customer service).
A variable charge based on usage — the more water you use, the higher the bill.
Sewerage charges (also partly based on usage unless you have special arrangements).
How often you’ll be billed
Usually every 6 months, but you can switch to monthly payments.
Bills may be based on actual readings or estimated readings if Anglian Water can’t access the meter.
Who benefits from metering?
Smaller households (e.g., 1–2 people).
Homes that use water efficiently.
Properties where the old rateable value was unusually high.
💧 2. If your home is unmetered
You’ll pay a fixed annual charge that does not depend on how much water you use.
How the unmetered charge is calculated
Anglian Water uses one of the following:
Rateable value (RV) of the property (most common).
Assessed volume charge (if a meter can’t be fitted).
Flat-rate charge (rare, but used in some areas).
What this means for you
Bills stay the same regardless of usage.
Larger households often prefer unmetered billing.
If your RV is high, you may pay more than a metered household.
💧 3. Can you switch between metered and unmetered?
Yes — you have the legal right to request a meter at any time, unless it’s not practical to install one.
Tenants can request a meter, though it’s recommended to tell your landlord.
If a meter can’t be fitted, Anglian Water must offer an Assessed Volume Charge, which is usually cheaper than RV-based billing.
💧 4. What changes specifically for Norwich City Council tenants?
From 1 April 2026, you will:
Stop paying water through your rent.
Receive bills directly from Anglian Water.
Have your account automatically created — no action needed.
Your billing type (metered or unmetered) will depend on your property’s existing setup.
Want me to check which option is likely cheaper for your household?
If you tell me:
number of people in your home
number of bedrooms
whether you know if you already have a meter
…I can estimate whether metered or unmetered billing will usually work out better for you.
Yes — what you’ve been given is an annual unmetered bill, and the amount (£1,058.80) is exactly what Anglian Water charges for an unmetered household in Norwich for the 2026–27 charging year.
Let me break down what this means so it’s absolutely clear.
💧 1. You are on an unmetered (rateable value) tariff
Because your home has no water meter, Anglian Water charges you a fixed yearly amount based on:
the rateable value (RV) of your property
plus standard standing charges
plus sewerage charges
This is why the bill is a single annual figure rather than usage‑based.
📅 2. The bill covers 1 April 2026 → 31 March 2027
That’s the standard Anglian Water charging year.
You’ve been asked to pay £1,058.80 by 16 April 2026 — this is normal for unmetered customers who pay annually.
You can choose monthly instalments
Anglian Water normally allows:
monthly Direct Debit
fortnightly payments
weekly payments
or the full annual amount
If you prefer not to pay £1,058.80 in one go, you can switch to instalments once your account is active.
🧾 3. Why the amount seems high
Unmetered bills can be noticeably higher than metered ones, especially for:
1–2 person households
properties with high historical rateable values
people who use water efficiently
Many tenants find that a meter reduces their bill significantly — but it depends on household size.
🔧 4. You can request a water meter
Anglian Water installs meters free of charge unless it’s technically impossible.
If a meter can’t be fitted, they must offer an Assessed Volume Charge, which is usually cheaper than RV-based billing.
📌 5. So yes — you’re being billed yearly
To summarise your situation:
You have no meter
You’re on an unmetered tariff
You’ve been billed annually
£1,058.80 is the correct annual charge for 2026–27
You can switch to monthly payments if you prefer
If you want, I can estimate whether a meter would save you money
Just tell me:
how many people live in your home
number of bedrooms
whether you use things like a dishwasher, washing machine, garden hose
I can give you a realistic comparison between staying unmetered and switching to a meter, so you know whether that £1,058.80 is fair or if you could cut it down.
Short answer: Norwich City Council will stop collecting water charges with rent from 1 April 2026. From that date, all council tenants will pay Anglian Water directly, and Anglian Water will set up the new accounts automatically.
🧭 What’s changing?
Until now: Norwich City Council collected water charges on behalf of Anglian Water and included them in tenants’ rent.
From 1 April 2026:
The council will no longer act as the collector.
Tenants will receive bills directly from Anglian Water.
No action is required from tenants — Anglian Water will create the accounts and contact you.
💡 Why is this happening?
This shift follows a series of legal rulings (Southwark 2016, Kingston 2020) which found that councils collecting water charges were effectively buying and reselling water, not simply acting as agents. Because councils were only allowed to charge a small admin fee, many — including Norwich — must now refund tenants the difference.
💷 What about rebates?
Around 8,000 current tenants are receiving rebates for overpayments made between 2013 and 2024.
Former tenants will be able to apply in 2026.
Rebates are being issued in batches and should be completed by end of 2025.
🟢 What you need to do
Nothing right now. Your Anglian Water account will be created automatically before April 2026. If you’re due a rebate, the council will contact you.
If you want, I can also break down:
how the new billing will work (metered vs unmetered)
what support Anglian Water offers for low‑income households
how this change affects Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
Which angle would help you most?
Here’s how your water billing will work once Norwich City Council stops collecting charges and Anglian Water takes over on 1 April 2026. The key difference is whether your home is metered or unmetered, because Anglian Water bills these in completely different ways.
💧 1. If your home has a water meter
You’ll pay for the exact amount of water you use.
What your bill will include
A fixed standing charge (covers pipes, maintenance, customer service).
A variable charge based on usage — the more water you use, the higher the bill.
Sewerage charges (also partly based on usage unless you have special arrangements).
How often you’ll be billed
Usually every 6 months, but you can switch to monthly payments.
Bills may be based on actual readings or estimated readings if Anglian Water can’t access the meter.
Who benefits from metering?
Smaller households (e.g., 1–2 people).
Homes that use water efficiently.
Properties where the old rateable value was unusually high.
💧 2. If your home is unmetered
You’ll pay a fixed annual charge that does not depend on how much water you use.
How the unmetered charge is calculated
Anglian Water uses one of the following:
Rateable value (RV) of the property (most common).
Assessed volume charge (if a meter can’t be fitted).
Flat-rate charge (rare, but used in some areas).
What this means for you
Bills stay the same regardless of usage.
Larger households often prefer unmetered billing.
If your RV is high, you may pay more than a metered household.
💧 3. Can you switch between metered and unmetered?
Yes — you have the legal right to request a meter at any time, unless it’s not practical to install one.
Tenants can request a meter, though it’s recommended to tell your landlord.
If a meter can’t be fitted, Anglian Water must offer an Assessed Volume Charge, which is usually cheaper than RV-based billing.
💧 4. What changes specifically for Norwich City Council tenants?
From 1 April 2026, you will:
Stop paying water through your rent.
Receive bills directly from Anglian Water.
Have your account automatically created — no action needed.
Your billing type (metered or unmetered) will depend on your property’s existing setup.
Want me to check which option is likely cheaper for your household?
If you tell me:
number of people in your home
number of bedrooms
whether you know if you already have a meter
…I can estimate whether metered or unmetered billing will usually work out better for you.
Yes — what you’ve been given is an annual unmetered bill, and the amount (£1,058.80) is exactly what Anglian Water charges for an unmetered household in Norwich for the 2026–27 charging year.
Let me break down what this means so it’s absolutely clear.
💧 1. You are on an unmetered (rateable value) tariff
Because your home has no water meter, Anglian Water charges you a fixed yearly amount based on:
the rateable value (RV) of your property
plus standard standing charges
plus sewerage charges
This is why the bill is a single annual figure rather than usage‑based.
📅 2. The bill covers 1 April 2026 → 31 March 2027
That’s the standard Anglian Water charging year.
You’ve been asked to pay £1,058.80 by 16 April 2026 — this is normal for unmetered customers who pay annually.
You can choose monthly instalments
Anglian Water normally allows:
monthly Direct Debit
fortnightly payments
weekly payments
or the full annual amount
If you prefer not to pay £1,058.80 in one go, you can switch to instalments once your account is active.
🧾 3. Why the amount seems high
Unmetered bills can be noticeably higher than metered ones, especially for:
1–2 person households
properties with high historical rateable values
people who use water efficiently
Many tenants find that a meter reduces their bill significantly — but it depends on household size.
🔧 4. You can request a water meter
Anglian Water installs meters free of charge unless it’s technically impossible.
If a meter can’t be fitted, they must offer an Assessed Volume Charge, which is usually cheaper than RV-based billing.
📌 5. So yes — you’re being billed yearly
To summarise your situation:
You have no meter
You’re on an unmetered tariff
You’ve been billed annually
£1,058.80 is the correct annual charge for 2026–27
You can switch to monthly payments if you prefer
If you want, I can estimate whether a meter would save you money
Just tell me:
how many people live in your home
number of bedrooms
whether you use things like a dishwasher, washing machine, garden hose
I can give you a realistic comparison between staying unmetered and switching to a meter, so you know whether that £1,058.80 is fair or if you could cut it down.
, I can also break down what weekly or fortnightly payments would be, or help you work out whether a water meter would reduce your bill.
, I can also break down what weekly or fortnightly payments would be, or help you work out whether a water meter would reduce your bill.
I can also estimate your weekly or monthly metered payments, so you can compare them directly with the £20.36 weekly or £88.23 monthly unmetered amounts.
I have got my first bill for £1,058.80 for 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027, and your demand for it to be paid by 16th April 2026. I used to pay weekly via Norwich City Council, so this has come a big shock in dealing with Anglia Water.
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