We know it’s a difficult time for many households in the North West due to the cost of living crisis. We really don’t want you to be worried about your water bill payments so please get in touch with us on 0800 072 6765 if you’re having difficulties, so we can help. You can also complete our online form at unitedutilities.com/difficulty-paying-bill and we’ll call you back.

Some ways we can support you with your water bill payments include:

• Back on track: if you’re either receiving benefits or on a low income and finding it difficult to pay your water bill following a recent change in financial circumstances, we can help by lowering your payments.
• Help to pay: if you receive Pension Credit, you can apply to have your bills capped at an affordable amount.
• Payment matching: if you’ve built up a lot of debt, for every £1 you pay we’ll match it with £1 too, with our contribution increasing to £2 if you continue to make payments until your debt is cleared.
• Restart grant: if you’re in real financial difficulty, you may qualify for a one-off payment from our Trust Fund to help clear your debts.
• WaterSure: if you have a water meter, receive benefits and use a lot of water due to ill health or having a large family, we can cap your annual bill regardless of how much water you use.
• Payment break: if you have a low income or receive benefits and are struggling due to losing your job or having to pay out for an unexpected household emergency, we can delay your bill payments for an agreed period of time.
• Pay As U Go: ideal for those customers who would like the flexibility to make payments whenever they wish to fit around their life.
• Cheaper with a meter: most customers who switch to a water meter save at least £150 a year compared to their current bills. You can try it for two years and switch back if you don’t make a saving.

Support when you need it most

We can all benefit from a bit of extra help at some stage in our lives. This could be due to age, ill health, disability, mobility needs, mental health problems, financial worries or language barriers. Registering for Priority Services is FREE and means you’ll benefit from additional services to support your needs including:

• A dedicated team on hand to listen and help
• You can nominate a carer, family member or friend to talk to us on your behalf
• Have your bills in Braille, large print, coloured paper and ‘talking’ bills, plus text relay service
• We will always knock and wait that little bit of extra time, if we ever need to visit
• Add a password to your account so you can always be sure it’s us calling
• Translation services
• Notice of interruptions to your water supply
• Additional support if you have a medical need for water

So if you, or someone you know would benefit from extra support please register online at unitedutilities.com/priorityservices or give us a call on 0345 672 2888.