Understanding and forecasting your business water charges in Scotland is crucial for effective budgeting. Unlike England, the Scottish non-household water market has been deregulated since 2008, allowing businesses to choose their water retailer. Charges are generally comprised of fixed charges (based on meter size and Rateable Value) and volumetric charges (based on consumption).
This calculator provides an estimate of your annual water and waste water costs based on current default standard wholesale rates typical in the Scottish market.
Scottish Business Water Estimator
Found on your business rates bill. Used to calculate drainage charges.
Up to 20mm (Standard Small Business)
25mm
40mm
50mm
80mm
100mm
Select the size of your incoming water connection.
1 m³ = 1,000 litres. Check your previous water bill for usage.
Percentage of water used that returns to the sewer (Standard is 95%).
Fixed Water Charge:£0.00
Fixed Waste Water Charge:£0.00
Volumetric Water Charge:£0.00
Volumetric Waste Charge:£0.00
Drainage Charges (Property & Roads):£0.00
Total Estimated Annual Bill:£0.00
*Estimates based on typical default standard rates. Actual rates vary by provider (LP) and contract. Excludes VAT.
function calculateScottishWaterRates() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var rvInput = document.getElementById("rateableValue").value;
var meterSize = document.getElementById("meterSize").value;
var consumptionInput = document.getElementById("annualConsumption").value;
var sewerageInput = document.getElementById("sewerageAllowance").value;
// 2. Parse and Validate
var rv = parseFloat(rvInput);
var consumption = parseFloat(consumptionInput);
var seweragePct = parseFloat(sewerageInput);
if (isNaN(rv)) rv = 0;
if (isNaN(consumption)) consumption = 0;
if (isNaN(seweragePct)) seweragePct = 95;
// 3. Define Rates (Based on approx market averages for calculation demonstration)
// Volumetric Rates (per m3)
var volWaterRate = 0.98;
var volWasteRate = 1.72;
// Drainage Rates (Pence per £ RV)
var propDrainageRate = 0.038; // ~3.8p
var roadsDrainageRate = 0.019; // ~1.9p
// Fixed Charges based on Meter Size (Annual £)
var fixedWater = 0;
var fixedWaste = 0;
// Simple switch for meter fixed charges logic
switch(meterSize) {
case "20":
fixedWater = 161.46;
fixedWaste = 120.35;
break;
case "25":
fixedWater = 275.50;
fixedWaste = 195.20;
break;
case "40":
fixedWater = 790.00;
fixedWaste = 450.00;
break;
case "50":
fixedWater = 1450.00;
fixedWaste = 800.00;
break;
case "80":
fixedWater = 3500.00;
fixedWaste = 1900.00;
break;
case "100":
fixedWater = 6500.00;
fixedWaste = 3200.00;
break;
default:
fixedWater = 161.46;
fixedWaste = 120.35;
}
// 4. Perform Calculations
// Volumetric Calculation
var totalVolWaterCost = consumption * volWaterRate;
// Waste is usually calculated on a percentage of water in (Return to Sewer allowance)
var wasteVolume = consumption * (seweragePct / 100);
var totalVolWasteCost = wasteVolume * volWasteRate;
// Drainage Calculation
var drainageCost = (rv * propDrainageRate) + (rv * roadsDrainageRate);
// Total
var totalCost = fixedWater + fixedWaste + totalVolWaterCost + totalVolWasteCost + drainageCost;
// 5. Update HTML
document.getElementById("resFixedWater").innerHTML = "£" + fixedWater.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resFixedWaste").innerHTML = "£" + fixedWaste.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resVolWater").innerHTML = "£" + totalVolWaterCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resVolWaste").innerHTML = "£" + totalVolWasteCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resDrainage").innerHTML = "£" + drainageCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resTotal").innerHTML = "£" + totalCost.toFixed(2);
// Show results
document.getElementById("results").style.display = "block";
}
How Business Water Charges Work in Scotland
In Scotland, business water bills are split into distinct service elements. Understanding these can help you identify where savings can be made.
1. Volumetric Charges
This is the charge for the actual water you use and the wastewater you discharge. It is measured in cubic metres (m³). If you have a meter, you pay for exactly what you use. The "Return to Sewer" allowance is applied here; for most businesses, it is assumed that 95% of water in goes out as wastewater, though industries like brewing or agriculture may claim a lower percentage.
2. Fixed Charges
Regardless of how much water you use, you will pay fixed charges. These cover the cost of maintaining the connection to the network. The cost usually scales with the size of your water meter (e.g., a 25mm meter attracts a higher fixed charge than a 20mm domestic-sized meter).
3. Drainage Charges
Drainage charges in Scotland are unique because they are heavily linked to the Rateable Value (RV) of your property.
Property Drainage: Covers the cost of dealing with rainwater that runs off your roof and private land into the sewer.
Roads Drainage: A contribution towards the cost of public road drainage.
Optimizing Your Water Rates
Because the market is deregulated, you can switch providers. While wholesale costs (what Scottish Water charges the retailers) remain static, the retailers (Licensed Providers) compete on their margin. To lower your bill:
Check your RV: Ensure the Rateable Value used on your bill matches your official valuation.
Validate Meter Size: If your consumption has dropped, your meter might be oversized, incurring unnecessarily high fixed charges.
Water Efficiency: The most effective way to cut costs is to reduce volumetric consumption through efficiency measures.