Energy and Water Bills

Energy suppliers generally cannot charge you for energy used, or standing charges, more than 12 months before the new bill, unless you were already billed for that amount. This covers households and microbusinesses. source

The 12-month limit also applies if you asked for an accurate bill and did not get one, you were not told about the charges through a statement of account, or your Direct Debit was set too low to cover what you used. source

The limit does not protect you if you acted unreasonably, for example by blocking access to the meter, ignoring payment requests or stealing energy. source

If your energy complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, or you get a deadlock letter, you can take it to the Energy Ombudsman. It is free and impartial. source

For water, start by telling your water company what is wrong and giving it a chance to fix it. If it does not reply within 10 working days, you may be due a payment under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme. source

If you are still unhappy, ask the company to escalate your complaint to a review. It should respond within another 10 working days. source

You can take your complaint to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which is free, once you have a final response (written or spoken) or eight weeks have passed since you first complained. Include evidence such as emails, bills or call notes. source

Per the government in August 2026, unresolved water complaints should now be referred by the water company to its independent adjudication service. A new Water Ombudsman is planned with legally binding decisions, but no launch date has been given. source

Citizens Advice says a water company that does not reply to a written account query within ten working days should pay you £20 automatically, with a further £10 claimable if that payment is late. That page was last reviewed in February 2020. source