Water and wastewater customers are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as laid down by the UK Government in England and the Welsh Government in Wales. These rights are known as the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). Where a retailer or wholesaler fails to meet any of these standards of service then it is required to make a specified payment to the affected customer. We monitor the scheme and recommend charges.
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Customers’ rights
The scheme applies to all customers of water and sewerage companies, including:
- business customers
- household customers
- those in debt
The water and sewerage companies must inform billed customers of their rights under the scheme every year.
Details of payments your water company must make if it does not meet its service standards are summarised below. There are occasional circumstances when these payments do not apply. In particular, payments may not apply when severe or exceptional weather, or an abnormal or unforeseeable event, has prevented them from meeting their standards.
The business retail market
On 1 April 2017 amendments to the GSS Regulations came into force. These took into account the opening of the business retail market for water and wastewater services for businesses, charities and public sector organisations.
The main change to the GSS Regulations is that for business customers who can switch suppliers, the following applies:
- retailers are responsible for making GSS payments to their customers in all instances; and
- the responsibility for funding payments to business customers is shared between the retailer and the wholesaler, and will be made by whichever is at fault for the GSS Regulation failure.
Summary of payment amounts that apply in Wales
These are the minimum payment amounts that apply for companies whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales. Some companies may voluntarily increase these – ask your company for details.
| GSS Regulation | GSS payment | Late payment penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Business customers | Business customers | |
| Appointments not made properly | £20 | £10 |
| Appointments not kept | £20 | £10 |
| Incidences of low water pressure | £25 | – |
| Incorrect notice of planned interruptions to supply | £50 | £50 |
| Supply not restored(*) – initial period | £50 | £50 |
| Supply not restored(*) – each further 24 hours | £25 | |
| Written account queries and requests to change payment arrangements not actioned on time | £20 | £10 |
| Written complaints not actioned on time | £20 | £10 |
| Properties sewer flooded internally | Payment equal to annual sewerage charges (Minimum payment of £150. Maximum of £1000) |
£50 |
| Properties materially affected sewer flooded externally | Payment equal to 50% of annual sewerage charges (Minimum payment of £75. Maximum of £500) | £50 |
(*) Supply not restored within time notified (planned work) or when supply is interrupted for an extended time under unplanned/emergency situations
Summary of payment amounts that apply in England
These are the minimum payment amounts that apply for companies whose area is wholly or mainly in England.
Some companies may voluntarily increase these – ask your company for details.
Exemptions, terms and conditions apply. Companies must comply with the GSS regulations. Further information on how any disputed claims will be decided is set out below.
For most standards, companies must make automatic payments to customers within 20 days of failing to meet the standard – except for appointments, complaints, account queries and requests about payment arrangements where they should pay the customer within 10 days of failing to meet the standard .
| GSS Regulation | GSS payment | Late payment penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Business customers | Business customers | |
| Appointments not made properly | £40 | £40 |
| Appointments not kept | £50 | £40 |
| Incidences of low water pressure | £50 Up to five payments per financial year . Automatic £250 a year payment for customers with ongoing low pressure |
£40 |
| Less than 48 hours’ notice of planned supply interruption of more than 4 hours | £100 | £100 |
| Supply not restored on time (*) | £100, and £100 for each subsequent 12 hours (up to cap of twice customer’s annual water supply charge) | £100 |
| Account queries not actioned on time | £40 | £40 |
| Requests to change payment arrangements not actioned on time | £40 | £40 |
| Complaints not actioned on time | £40 | £40 |
| Internal sewer flooding | Payment equal to annual sewerage charges, at minimum of £300 and maximum of £2000
For repeated incidents in the same rolling 12 month period, the minimum increases by £100 per repeat occurrence and the maximum by £500 per repeat occurrence. |
£100 |
| Material external sewer flooding | Payment equal to 50% of annual sewerage charges, at minimum of £150 and maximum of £1000 For repeated incidents in the same rolling 12 month period, the minimum increases by £50 per repeat occurrence and the maximum by £250 per repeat occurrence. |
£40 |
| Moving to Measured Charging Supply of Water**:
Failure to install a water meter upon request within relevant time and then begin to charge the customer on the basis of the volume of water used |
A sum equal to the charges payable by the customer for the supply of water (a) beginning with the day after the anticipated measured charging date, and (b) ending when the English service provider begins to charge by measure. | £40 |
| Reading of meters**:
Failure to read a customer’s water meter (excluding smart meters) at least once every 13 months |
£40 (£80 for each subsequent 13-month period) | £40 |
| Water quality notices**:
If a water quality notice is served and supply is not restored by the end of a 48-hour period. |
If a notice is in place for longer than 48 hours, £60 plus £40 per additional 24 hours that the notice is in place, up to a maximum of the customer’s annual water supply (not including sewerage services) bill. | £40 |
(*) Supply not restored within time notified (planned work) or when supply is interrupted for an extended time under unplanned/emergency situations
(**) These standards came into force on 1 October 2025.
Payment and claims
If you are entitled to a GSS payment and the company has not made the payment automatically, you can claim the payment within three months of the incident.
If, at the time of the incident, you owe money to the company, and have done so for more than six weeks, the company will normally credit your account rather than make payment by cheque
Legal rights
The scheme does not affect any other legal rights to compensation you may have.
Disputed claims
If your claim is disputed by your company then the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) may be able to resolve your complaint quickly on an informal basis. If they are not successful then they will consider referring the complaint to us for formal resolution. Once we start a formal investigation of the dispute, both you and your company must follow our decision.
It is each water company’s responsibility to make sure it complies with the GSS regulations. We will in no circumstances be bound to interpret the GSS regulations in accordance with these summaries. When considering regulatory decisions, in particular in determining disputes, we will consider the original text of the GSS regulations as well as the facts as they arise.
Payments in the event of drought
All companies are required under licence conditions to make payments to customers where essential household water supplies are interrupted as a result of restrictions authorised by emergency drought orders. This includes water supplies for purposes such as:
- cooking
- washing
- drinking
- flushing the toilet
It does not include uses such as watering the garden, car washing or filling a pool.
Although this measure is not part of the GSS, it does mean that customers have access to these payments if essential supplies are not maintained.
Companies must accept our decision in the event of any disputes about entitlement.
Companies should pay household customers £10 for each day (or part day) that the water supply is interrupted or cut off. The maximum entitlement is equal to the company’s average household bill for the previous year.
Companies should pay business customers, in the same circumstances, £50 a day (or part day). The maximum amount payable is the water charge paid by the customer in the previous year. If, however, the customer has not paid a full year’s water charge, or a third party is responsible for the water charges, the maximum is set at £500.
There is no entitlement to a payment under Condition Q if the circumstances are so exceptional that, in our view, it would be unreasonable to expect the company to avoid the interruption.
Water companies’ legal obligations covering GSS
You can find a summary of your water companies’ legal obligations regarding GSS in our summary guidance.