A Crawley water bill support partnership has automatically enrolled 3,818 eligible households onto reduced-tariff schemes, helping residents access discounts without separate applications and delivering more than £593,000 in identified savings.
The initiative brings together Crawley Borough Council, South East Water, Southern Water and SES Water.
Eligible households are securely matched with water-company support schemes, reducing the need for residents to identify and apply separately for financial assistance.
Crawley Borough Council says the approach is intended to reach customers who may qualify for reduced tariffs but are unaware of the support available.
Crawley water bill support reaches 3,818 households
Southern Water has enrolled 3,700 Crawley customers onto its Essentials tariff, generating total savings of £569,800, or an average of £154 per household.
South East Water has added 114 customers to its Social Tariff, with drinking-water bill savings totalling £23,502.
A further four SES Water customers have been enrolled onto the company’s WaterSupport scheme. A total saving for those households was not provided.
The figures are also reported by Crawley Borough Council.
Automatic matching aims to remove barriers to support
The Crawley water bill support initiative is designed to simplify access to reduced tariffs by matching eligible households with available schemes rather than requiring separate applications to each water company.
Crawley Borough Council says households receiving Council Tax Reduction can be securely matched with water-company support schemes.
The approach comes as water companies expand affordability measures for customers facing higher household costs.
H2O Global News previously reported that South East Water expanded its social tariff support in 2026 by introducing an online eligibility tool intended to help customers identify benefits and bill assistance.
South East Water customers receive tiered bill discounts
South East Water’s current Social Tariff provides income-related reductions for eligible households.
The company states that customers with household income below £17,000 can receive a 50% discount, while those with income between £17,000 and £22,020 can receive a 30% discount.
Further information is available through South East Water’s bill-support information.
Sam Gawler, Vulnerability Manager at South East Water, said: “We recognise that some of our customers may have difficulty paying their water bills and we want to make sure it is as simple as possible for them to get the help that they need.
“By working with Crawley Borough Council, Southern Water and SES Water we’ve been able to identify those customers living in the Crawley area who may be entitled to financial support through our Social Tariff. This partnership is now helping households save up to 50 per cent on the cost of their water bills.
“Further information about our Social Tariff, including a simple link to find out if you might be eligible, can be found on our website: southeastwater.co.uk/helpwithyourbill.”
Southern Water accounts for majority of households enrolled
Southern Water’s Essentials tariff provides reduced charges for qualifying customers experiencing financial difficulty.
The company’s current tariff structure offers discounts of between 45% and 90% for eligible households, depending on income and circumstances.
Information about eligibility is available through Southern Water’s financial support pages.
Nicola Chitty, Affordability and Vulnerability Lead at Southern Water, said: “This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to support local communities. By partnering with Crawley Borough Council, South East Water and SES Water, we’ve been able to identify customers who may be entitled to financial support and make sure they’re receiving the help available to them. Building on the success of similar partnerships in Thanet and Portsmouth, this project is helping to ease financial pressures and put money back into the pockets of more households across Crawley.”
The partnership forms part of Crawley Borough Council’s wider cost-of-living support programme.
For more coverage of affordability and water-sector support, visit H2O Global News’ Water Management section.
Source: South East Water / Crawley Borough Council
