Help paying a bill

We offer flexible payment plans allowing you to pay for your water as you go via flexible payment periods, such as weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

We are able to reduce this payment amount if required and agents are trained to review this with the customer in line with their circumstances.

Customers can manage their payment plan by either calling us or by using our online service My account.

WaterSure is an alternative tariff option that is offered to household metered customers who meet a specific criteria (see listed below). The tariff ensures that your metered bill is capped at a fixed annual charge. This charge has a higher annual standing charge than our standard tariff for water and wastewater services. However, it has no charge per cubic meter, thus reducing your overall bill.

See if you’re eligible for WaterSure

If you are receiving benefits and are in arrears with your water bill you may be able to arrange for your payments to be taken from your benefits and paid directly to us.

To be eligible for Water Direct you must be in receipt of one of the following benefits: income support, job seekers allowance, pension credits, universal credits or employment & support allowance (ESA)

You can contact DWP directly on 0800 882 200 to find out if you’re eligible.

What is Breathing Space?

Breathing Space is a government scheme which is designed to give you time to receive debt advice and find a solution to sort out your debt problems. There are two kinds of Breathing Space.

• Standard Breathing Space is where most creditors will have to stop collection and enforcement of your debts. Creditors will also have to freeze interest and charges on any eligible debts.
• Mental health crisis breathing space can provide extra protection for people who are receiving mental health crisis treatment.

How can I apply for Breathing Space?

Breathing Space can only be started by:

• a debt advice provider who is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to offer debt counselling
• a local authority (where they provide debt advice to residents)

The following is a list of some (but not all) of the debt advisers you may speak to:

• Step Change StepChange Debt Charity. Free Expert Debt Help & Advice
• National Debt Line Debt advice | Free debt advice | National Debtline
• Citizens Advice Citizens Advice
• Money Service Advice Free and impartial help with money, backed by the government | MoneyHelper

Whoever is occupying the property is normally responsible for paying the bill. If more than one person shares the property, everyone is responsible, even if the bill is only in one name.

If you’re a tenant, you are responsible for paying the bill, unless your landlord has made another agreement with us. If there is no such agreement or we have not received written confirmation from the landlord that they are responsible for the bill, you will be responsible for paying the bill. In some cases, we will hold you and the landlord jointly responsible. This happens if the landlord has failed to provide us with certain information that they are required to provide to us.

If you rent a property from the local authority, they may collect the bills on our behalf. This means your rent will include your water charges. If you don’t pay the water charge part of the rent for any reason, the landlord may take legal action against you. You will remain responsible for any bill that is not included in your rent.

Charges are applicable when a supply of water is made available for your property, regardless of whether or not you use the supply.

If you think your bill is wrong, or you are not liable to pay it, please tell us straight away. Our telephone number is 0333 000 0133 or email us at billing@icosawater.co.uk. We will try to resolve the matter and temporarily stop any recovery action where an account query cannot be resolved immediately.