You may receive multiple invoices due to amendments made to your bill. We are legally obliged to send every invoice for your records, however, you only need to pay the last one (the one with the highest invoice number). They should arrive at the same time so you can identify which one to pay.
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1. Customer reference and invoice number
Your customer reference number is your unique 7 to 10-digit number, sometimes called your ‘billing reference number’. You’ll need this if you’d like to discuss your account with us.
Your invoice number is sometimes called your ‘bill number’. This is a unique number which identifies the particular bill that you’re looking at. We’ll ask for this number if you contact us with a specific query or issue relating to this bill.
2. Water and waste water – Supply point ID (SPID)
You’ll have one or more Supply Point IDs, sometimes referred to as a SPIDs, listed on your bill – one for each water and/or waste water connection that you have. A SPID is the unique identifier for your connection to the water or waste water network and helps us to locate your premises.
3. Billing period
This is the period of time that this bill relates to. It might help to check this initially if you think your bill is too high or too low as your bill may relate to a longer or shorter period of time than you were expecting.
4. Your account summary
This section shows a summary of the balances, payments and charges that have been considered to produce your bill. Your account summary takes your previous balance from your last bill and subtracts any recent payments received. This then results in the ‘balance brought forward’ amount. The detail of how your charges have been calculated is broken down over the following pages.
5. Your charges this period
This section shows all of your charges for the current billing period. More details can be found on page two of your bill.
6. Your new account balance
This is a total of your ‘balance brought forward’ amount combined with the total charges from the current billing period. Your new account balance is the total amount that you need to pay for this billing period. It’s easy to pay using one of the payment options noted on your bill. If you have any concerns about making payments, please get in touch with our Customer Support team on 0330 123 2002 and we’ll be able to discuss your options. If your account is in credit, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll use this credit balance to cover future charges. Alternatively, you can request a refund of your credit balance by getting in touch with us using the contact details at the top of your bill or click here for more information.
7. Our latest news and updates
We use this box to inform you of any important messages, news or updates. This might include, for example, information on changes to your charges or seasonal water efficiency advice.
8. Your water-related carbon consumption and year-to-date consumption
Every litre of water that you use, and every litre of waste water that goes down your drain, needs to be treated and transported to make it safe and available. Energy is used for each and every part of this process, so we encourage all of our customers to try to keep their water use to a minimum to reduce energy demand and prevent air pollution.
The information in this box provides an estimate of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that would be released into the atmosphere each year as a result of the water you’ve used and the waste water that you’ve produced.
The year-to-date (YTD) consumption figure shows an estimated water and/or waste water consumption throughout the financial year - April to March – which means you’ll see your YTD figure increase each time you receive a new bill. Your YTD consumption is for the site that this bill relates to, with all water and/or waste water meters included. Please note, if your site is part of a meter network, your YTD figure also includes any sub-meter consumption. Sub-meter deductions can be found on page two of your bill under ‘Volumetric water charges’ and you can view a detailed breakdown of your YTD figure on page three of your bill in the ‘More information’ module.
9. Ways to pay
Here you’ll find various ways to pay your bill.
Did you know that Direct Debit is the quickest and easiest way to pay your bill and you can spread your costs across the year? Alternatively, you can pay your bills online via our simple payment form or by logging on to or registering for your My Business Stream account. You can find a list of ways to pay on the front page of your bill.
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1. Fixed water charges
Your fixed water charges are calculated using a set daily rate which is multiplied by the number of days in the billing period to provide the total charge. These charges cover the maintenance of external pipes and pumps that supply water to, and remove waste water from, your premises. The rate you’re charged is determined by your premises location (or water wholesaler region) and the size of your water connection – larger diameter pipes are charged at a higher rate. Your yearly (annual) fee is listed on the left for your reference. The number of ‘units’ you’re being charged for is equal to the number of days in the billing period. The daily rate (the amount you’re charged each day) is shown in pence. You can find a full list of all your charges here. These two figures combine to give the total charge for the billing period, which is shown along with the VAT code. Z (Zero) means the rate for VAT is zero, S (Standard) is the standard rate of 20%. If there is more than one row in this section, this is because you have more than one water meter.
2. Volumetric water charges
This is a variable charge for the amount of water you've used, as recorded by your water meter. The rate you’re charged can vary based on your geographical location and your water consumption. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
3. Fixed waste water charges
Your fixed waste water charges are calculated using a set daily rate which is multiplied by the number of days in the billing period to provide a total. This is a fee for the upkeep of external pipes and pumps that remove waste water from your premises. The rate you’re charged is determined by your premises location (or water wholesaler region) and the size of your connection to the network – larger diameter pipes are charged at a higher rate. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
4. Volumetric waste water charges
This is the amount of water that we estimate goes down your drain based on a proportion of the water consumption recorded by your water meter. In general, waste water is charged between 90% and 100% of your recorded water use.
The rate that you’re charged varies based on how much water you use. You can find a full list of all of your charges here.
If you believe the percentage on which your waste water charge is based on is inaccurate, then it’s possible to challenge this with your water wholesaler. We’re able to raise this challenge on your behalf with your wholesaler, who will review any evidence you can provide. If you believe your charges are inaccurate, tell us via our general enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
5. Surface water drainage
This is a fee for the cost of collecting rainwater which goes in to the public sewerage network from your premises.The rate that you’re charged is based on the surface area of your premises. You can find a full list of all of your charges here. If you believe the surface area of your premises has been calculated incorrectly, then it’s possible to challenge this with your regional water wholesaler. To do this, please complete visit business-stream.co.uk/contact-us and select ‘General enquiries’ at the top of this page, provide details of the issue and we’ll raise this on your behalf with your wholesaler, who will review any evidence you provide. We’ll process your query and update you on its progress.
6. Highway drainage
This is a fee for the upkeep of the public roads drainage system and road flooding prevention.
7. VAT
Most of our services are zero rated (Z) but some are standard rated (S) or outside scope (O). For more information about which businesses pay VAT, and what to do if you think you’re being incorrectly charged, visit our VAT information page.
8. Total charges this period
Your total charges for this billing period will be displayed here.
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1. We’re here to help
We can help you identify ways to save on your bill, or if you have a general query about your water and waste water services or concerns about your bill, you’ll find ways to get in touch here.
2. Helpful information
For help with managing your account, you can use the links in this module to direct you to specific areas of our website where you can update your details, register to My Business Stream and find out how you can reduce your water consumption.
3. More information
Here you can view more information about your year-to-date (YTD) consumption. The year-to-date (YTD) consumption figure shows an estimated water and/or waste water consumption figure throughout the financial year - April to March – which means you’ll see your YTD figure increase each time you receive a new bill. Your YTD consumption is for the site that this bill relates to, with all water and/or waste water meters included. Please note, if your site is part of a meter network, your YTD figure also includes any sub-meter consumption. Sub-meter deductions can be found on page two of your bill under ‘Volumetric water charges’.
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Got a question about Metered Bills in England? We’ve included our most asked questions below.
What period of time do the charges on my bill cover?
The period of time that your charges cover is displayed on the first page of your bill, above the account summary section. This will usually be a three month period for metered customers, however this can vary depending on the tariff or payment option that you have.
Why have I been billed based on an estimated meter reading?
As a licensed provider of business water services, we're required to read your water meter at least twice a year. The meter readings taken, known as 'actual' readings, will be reflected on your bill statement and used to calculate a more accurate estimation of your charges. For times when we don't have an 'actual' meter reading for your site(s), your bills are based on an estimated consumption using previous 'actual' readings, received during the bill period, as well as historic meter readings.
This is standard practice and aligned with your scheduled bill frequency, ensuring we can provide you with regular, timely bills. If you feel the estimated consumption is inaccurate, you can provide us with your own meter reading by visiting business-stream.co.uk/meter-reading or by uploading your reading to your My Business Stream account. Alternatively, if you'd like to submit your reading over the phone, or to discuss your bill, please get in touch with one of our friendly advisers on 0330 123 2000. Please only read your meter if it’s safe to do so. Once we receive your meter reading, we'll use it to generate your next bill.
Why have I received multiple bills?
Usually, you’ll only ever receive one bill from us. However, if we need to make an amendment on your account, this can result in receiving multiple bills or invoices through the post from us. We’ll always endeavour to let you know if this might happen by contacting you over phone or email.
When an amendment is made, we’re required to ensure that a full record of this change is provided to you. Sometimes it’s not possible to show an amendment on a single bill, so more than one may be generated in order to accurately display the steps that have been taken.
Our bills are produced in numerical order, so even if you receive more than one on the same day, simply look for the invoice number at the top of the page. This can be found after the forward slash next to your customer reference number.
How can I save money on my bill?
Find out how to reduce your bill by visiting our water efficiency page, you can request a free water efficiency pack here too.
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We’re fully committed to improving our environmental performance and are certified to ISO 14001:2015. You can find out more in our environmental policy. Our Solutions team are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018.
