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Pay Delay

Pay Delay is a simple, easy, zero risk way to protest against your water company, if you follow our steps here.

Important

Do not attempt this action if you have any concerns about ending up in payment arrears.

We all want the polluters to pay for how they've neglected our waterways and breached their licensing obligations, while siphoning off profits that could have repaired some of the damage to our aging infrastructure.

Water companies are monopoly service providers, making us captive consumers of our water companies, with limited choices about footing the bill for investment in our water and sewage services.

Many of us continue to face significant hikes in our bills, rewarding their poor performance, shoddy profiteering and even their criminal fines. So it's not enough they are risking lives, public health and preservation of wildlife, we are captive customers of their corrupt practices.

Although you have limited powers, you do have some control, however, of HOW you choose to pay... You can register your displeasure with the water company and cause them inconvenience, by cancelling your direct debit and instead paying by bank transfer when you choose to. Or, how about changing your standing order frequency/amount? For real inconvenience, sending an old-fashioned cheque will really slow down their cashflow.

By taking control over how you pay your bill, you are sending the strong message: I don't trust you or agree with your operating principles.

Steps to follow:

Step 1: Change Your Payment Method

  • Stop automatically paying your bill by visiting your bank (online or in-branch):
    • If you currently pay by Direct Debit, visit your bank and cancel it.
    • If you currently pay by Standing Order, cancel or change the payment interval or amount (so that payment is delayed).
  • Wait For Your Water Company to get in touch about payment.

Step 2: Arrange your new payment method.

  • In general, when you receive a bill, it can be paid individually in full, paid monthly, weekly, or intermittently. The aim is to delay payment, make payments unpredictable or both.
  • Once the water company has contacted you, choose how you want to pay them. Note: this isn't an exhaustive list and there maybe more options.
    • Bank transfer - check your water company's website to see how to do this. This is probably the easiest option.
    • Send a cheque
    • Standing Order - setup a fixed, regular payment instruction with your bank to transfer a set amount of money to another account at a regular interval (e.g., weekly, monthly, or yearly).
    • Pay in cash - Some customers can pay their water bill in cash, but this will depend on your specific water provider. Most major UK water companies allow cash payments at Post Offices, PayPoint/Payzone outlets, or sometimes directly via banks.
    • Pay with a Post Office Order - you can pay your water bill using a postal order at the Post Office, provided your water supplier accepts this method. You will need to follow the specific payment instructions for your provider.
    • Telephone Payments - Automated systems allowing payments by debit or credit card over the phone, usually available 24/7. If you're asked whether you want to authorise use of this card for future payments, say "no", so you have control over when and how you pay your bill.

Step 3. Boycott. Many people are boycotting the sewerage services part of their water bill. If you want to step up your action see the Don't Pay for Dirty Water, campaign which is flowing along nicely. This is not for everyone and not zero risk, so do follow the advice on our 'Don't Pay for Dirty Water' page.

Note: a similar action is suggested by 'Boycott Water Bills' i.e.: Cancel for Clean Water.

Take the plunge into the tide of people power!

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