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Non-Domestic Water and Sewerage Charges

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These FAQs provide answers to your queries in relation to billing.

Unmeasured Customers

NI Water will assess payment difficulties on a case-by-case basis. We urge you to contact us on our Billing Line on 0345 877 0030 and we can discuss your circumstances and explore options available to you and come to a suitable, sustainable payment arrangement.

NI Water is unable to offer customers any discounts on our bills.

Unmeasured bills are based on the latest Land & Property Services valuation list, which came into effect on 1 April 2025.

Contact us at customer.billing@niwater.com and we will investigate if it is possible for a meter to be installed on your supply. If it is possible, you will remain liable for unmeasured charges up until the date the meter is physically installed.

Unmeasured annual bills include charges for the full 12 month charging period (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026).

For a property that is not served by a metered connection to the water mains supply, the charging mechanism for services provided to the property are unmeasured water and sewerage charges which consist of a standing charge and a variable charge:

  • the standing charge is a ‘fixed charge’ applied to all unmeasured properties; and
  • the variable charge is based on the property’s Net Annual Valuation (NAV) as set by Land and Property Services (LPS) and used by NI Water as the basis for your annual bill for water and sewerage services provided to the property.

The standing ‘fixed’ charge component of unmeasured charges covers the fixed costs of maintaining the NI Water supply infrastructure to the property.

Unmeasured charges by their nature can only reflect estimated consumption. Use of a water meter to ensure charges reflect actual consumption remains NI Water’s preferred method of billing non-domestic customers.

The NI Water charging policy for unoccupied unmeasured non-domestic properties (as referenced in the current Scheme of Charges and approved by the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council NI) is:

10.4 Where a customer is liable to pay unmeasured water and sewerage charges, the charges are payable where a furnished property is connected to water and sewerage services regardless of whether or not services are actually used

Metered Customers

We urge you to contact us on our Billing Line on 0345 877 0030 and we can discuss your circumstances and explore suitable and sustainable payment options available to you.

There are no discounts available for metered customers, other than the normal domestic allowance and non-return to sewer allowance.

Questions Common to both Unmeasured / Metered Customers

NI Water’s proposed charges undergo a robust process, and any increase must comply with price limits set by the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator (NIUR).

Tariff increases in line with these price limits will see non-domestic tariffs rise by 7.7% on average from 1 April 2025. This compares favourably against price increases in other water and sewerage utilities across Scotland, England and Wales.

NI Water operates in a challenging funding environment with high expectations to provide a cost-effective water and sewerage service. The revenue from bills will support necessary investment in infrastructure, benefiting the local economy and environment.

It is important that customers who may need extra help with their bill communicate with us as soon as possible. Our billing team will be on hand to offer guidance, including payment breaks or longer repayment plans.

If you have recently vacated the property, please contact us providing evidence such as a proof of sale, or your tenancy agreement. You will remain liable for charges up until the date you vacated the property.

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Self Service Portal

Pay your bill online, manage account details and payments

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Your Bill

Understanding your bill

Both metered and unmeasured (unmetered) customer bills have a standing charge element. This standing charge is a fixed charge which includes the cost of providing a water supply.

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Meter

Read your meter

We aim to read your meter at least twice a year. If we haven’t been able to read it when it is time for your bill, we will use an estimate based on your past water use. At least one bill in any 12 month period will be based on an actual read.

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