What is a business assessed charge?

Your business might have an assessed charge if the water company couldn’t install a meter. You can also ask your retailer to switch you to an assessed charge if you’re currently paying based on your business property’s Rateable Value.

These charges depend on either your type of business or the number of employees. Most water companies call this a business assessed charge.

If you move into a place with a business assessed charge, contact your retailer and let them know your type of business and number of employees. This ensures you are charged correctly. If they don’t know your business type, you’ll get a ‘default’ charge, which might not be the correct rate for you.

If you think your charge is wrong, ask your retailer for a re-assessment. They’ll guide you on what to do and what evidence you need. They will then apply to the water company for you and inform you of the outcome. If the charge changes, it will usually be backdated to when you applied. Sometimes, it might be backdated further if the mistake was on their part. In such cases, provide your evidence to your retailer as soon as possible.