Problems paying

If you think that your bill is incorrect, or you are not responsible for paying it, please tell us straight away. We will try and resolve the matter but if we cannot agree with you, we will ultimately ask the courts to decide.  

Water services have to be paid for. We know that there are many demands upon household budgets and that finding money can be difficult. We cannot reduce the amount that you have to pay, but we can help by giving you time to pay and by breaking up the bill into manageable instalments. Our team has been trained to give advice on the various options available and to help you find an arrangement to suit you.  

If you find it difficult to get the money to us, for example if you are disabled and cannot easily get out, we can help you to find a way to pay with an arrangement convenient to you. Please call us on 01429 858 030 or send us an enquiry email for more details.  

Above all we can help by listening to you. If we know that you are trying to pay your bill, we will not take you to court which would mean more expense as costs could be added to your bill.

For independent financial advice there are a number of agencies who may be able to help, such as:

• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Hartlepool Credit Union
• Consumer Advice Centre
• Money Advice Centre
• National Debt Line
• West View Advice and Resource Centre
• North East Illegal Money Lending Team.  

You can find contact details for these agencies and more in the phone book or at your local library. Details for some of these agencies can be found in this Independent Help reference sheet.  

If you receive Income Support, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) may be able to arrange for direct payment from your Income Support to pay for your water services. The DWP is unlikely to give you money, but may be able to help in other ways.   We will also take into consideration recommendations made by independent financial advisors.

The Anglian Water Assistance Fund is an independent organisation. It provides financial assistance to customers who are suffering genuine hardship as a result of a backlog of unpaid bills. Referral is through help organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

You may apply for this grant either by:

• Printing out application form
• Telephoning their number for an application to be sent direct to you
• Completing and submitting an online application

All details can be found, by selecting the following page Anglianwater Assistance Fund

If you have difficulty paying your bill and it helps you to manage your budget, we can arrange for instalments to be collected from your home, if we both agree that this is the best way for you to pay. There will be no extra charge for this service. If you would like more details, please give us a call to discuss your needs on 01429 858 030 during normal working hours from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays, or send us an enquiry email.

If you do not pay your bill, do not contact us or do not keep to an arrangement with us to pay, we will take the following steps to recover the debt:  

Step 1
We will send you a reminder giving you another 21 days to pay the amount you owe. If you still do not pay, we will send you a Final Notice giving you another 10 days to pay.   If you continue to ignore our requests, we will attempt to meet you at your home to consider your circumstances. If we find that you have chosen not to pay this debt, rather than being unable to do so, there will be a fee of £25 for our visit.  

Step 2
If you still do not pay, contact us or reach an agreement to pay, we will ask the County Court to order you to pay. This means that you will receive a summons and have legal costs added. If you do not pay or make contact with us, we may obtain a County Court Judgement against you which will involve further legal fees. We will request a judgement 21 days after issuing the summons.   If we have to take legal action for non-payment of charges, your credit rating may be affected. If you are in arrears under a previous court order, we can go straight to Step 3 below.  

Step 3
If you fail to pay the amount the court orders you to, we will contact you again in an effort to avoid taking further court action and adding further costs to your account. We will write to you to try to reach a payment agreement.  

Step 4
If you do not pay the instalments or make contact with us to agree how you will pay we will take further action to recover the debt. This may result in your possessions being removed and sold or other action being taken against you, including attachment of earnings, an order being placed upon your property if you are a homeowner or other measures. If this happens, you will have to pay further costs. You may also be unable to sell or remortgage your property without first clearing the debt