Apply for a leak allowance

If a leak has increased your bill, we usually offer a leak allowance once it has been repaired.

Who is eligible

To qualify for an allowance, you must:

• have a water meter
• claim the allowance within six months of the date of repair
• not have caused the leak through negligence, either directly or by someone acting on your behalf.

If the leak was outside your property, you must get it repaired within 28 days of receiving a Private Leakage Notification from us.

You can also claim an allowance for leaks inside your property. However, there is a limit of two claims for internal leaks.

What you’ll need

You will need to provide:

• a meter reading straight after the leak has been repaired
• a second meter reading two weeks after your first reading.

Please contact us if you cannot read or access your meter. We can send someone to take the readings for you.

If we only provide your sewerage services

If your water is supplied by Bristol Water or Bournemouth Water, they will provide your allowance for leaked water.

We will still adjust your sewerage charges if we know the leak has been repaired.

You could get an allowance for your sewerage charges even if you do not get one from your water supplier. All we need is proof that the leak has been repaired, eg, a plumber’s bill.

Calculating your allowance

We will calculate your allowance by comparing how much water you normally use to the amount recorded by your meter while you had the leak.

We will then calculate the difference in cost, add this amount to your account, and send you an adjusted bill.

The allowance will be backdated up to a maximum of two years.