Moving into a new building — whether it’s your first commercial unit, a new site office, or a fresh set of premises for the business — comes with a long checklist. Water is one of those bills that’s easy to overlook until a letter turns up demanding payment for water you never used, or worse, nobody’s account gets set up at all and the supply gets flagged. Here’s how to get it sorted properly from day one.
You Might Be Able to Shop Around — But You Still Need to Find Out Who Supplies You
Water works a bit differently to gas and electricity, but it’s not as fixed as many businesses assume. The wholesaler — the company that owns the pipes and physically delivers water to the building — is fixed by location and doesn’t change no matter who occupies the site. But the retail side, meaning billing, customer service, and the account you actually deal with, has been open to competition in England since 2017 and in Scotland since 2008, so most businesses can switch retailer if they’re unhappy with pricing or service. Wales is the exception: only larger users (above 50 megalitres a year) can switch, so most small Welsh businesses stay with their regional default supplier. Either way, it’s worth checking who currently covers your postcode using the Water UK postcode checker rather than assuming it’s the same supplier as your last address — and if switching is available to you, it’s worth comparing retailers before settling on one.
Sewerage can be a separate matter too — some areas have one company handling water and a different one handling wastewater, so don’t be surprised if two bills turn up instead of one.
Take a Meter Reading on Day One
The single most useful thing you can do when you get the keys is take a clear, dated photo of the water meter before anyone starts using taps, toilets, or appliances on site. Note down the black and white numbers — the red dials are usually decimals and not needed for billing.
This does two things: it protects you from being billed for water used by the previous occupant, and it gives you a clean starting point to dispute any early estimate if the supplier hasn’t got your reading logged yet.
If you can’t locate the meter, most suppliers will help you find it and get it registered to the new account once you’ve made contact — don’t leave it, since an unregistered supply is what tends to trigger admin headaches down the line.
Set Up the Account Properly, Don’t Assume It Rolls Over
Even if you’re staying with the same supplier as your last premises, a new address needs a new account. Most water companies let you register online, and you’ll typically need:
- The new address and move-in date
- Your business name and contact details
- The opening meter reading you noted down
- Details of the previous occupant if you have them, which speeds things up
If the building is new-build or has been vacant for a while, it may not have an active account at all — worth confirming this early rather than finding out when a bill fails to arrive.
Metered or Unmetered — Know Which One You’re On
If the property has a working meter, you’ll be billed for what you actually use, which is usually the fairer option for most commercial premises. If it’s unmetered, you’ll be charged a fixed rate based on the property’s rateable value, regardless of how much water goes through the taps. If you think a meter would work out cheaper for the business — for example if the building’s rateable value is high but usage will be modest — it’s worth asking the supplier whether one can be fitted.
Confirm Who’s Actually Responsible for the Bill
If you’re leasing rather than owning, check the lease or tenancy agreement before assuming the water bill is yours to pay. Responsibility can sit with the tenant, the landlord, or occasionally be baked into a service charge. Get this confirmed in writing before your first bill lands, so there’s no dispute about who owes what.
Close Out the Old Account Properly
If you’re moving from another business premises, don’t let the old water account run on. Contact that supplier with your leaving date and a final meter reading, and give them a forwarding address for the closing bill. Most suppliers ask for around 28 days’ notice where possible, though it can usually be done with less if the move happens faster than that. Skipping this step is one of the most common ways businesses end up in a billing dispute — either overcharged on an estimate, or caught in an overlap where both the old and new occupant get billed for the same period.
Keep a Record of Everything
Save the confirmation emails, the meter reading photos, and the dates you contacted each supplier. If a query comes up later — and with water billing, it sometimes does — having a clear paper trail makes it a five-minute phone call instead of a drawn-out argument.
Getting water sorted properly on day one is a small job that saves a lot of hassle later. Treat it the same as you would gas, electricity, or setting up the business rates — not glamorous, but worth doing right the first time.