Before you start
Withholding any part of your water bill carries real risks. Southern Water can refer unpaid accounts to debt collection agencies, add administration charges, and in serious cases pursue court action or register a default on your credit file.
I’ve been through this process twice. I’ve had debt collectors contact me. I’m going to tell you exactly what happened and what I did, but this is my experience, not a guarantee of yours. Please read this page in full before you do anything, and make your own informed decision.
Nothing on this site is legal or financial advice.
How your bill is structured
Your Southern Water bill is made up of two separate charges:
- Water supply – the clean water coming into your home
- Wastewater (sometimes labelled ‘sewerage’) – the treatment and disposal of water leaving your home
This matters because the protest is about withholding only the wastewater portion. You should continue paying for the water supply, because you’re receiving that service. You withhold the wastewater charge because Southern Water is not, in any meaningful sense, treating and responsibly disposing of wastewater – it is dumping raw sewage into the sea and rivers.
Your bill will show these two charges separately. If you can’t find it, contact Southern Water and ask for an itemised bill.
Step 1: Stop paying by direct debit
If you currently pay by direct debit, cancel it. You do not need Southern Water’s permission or involvement to cancel a direct debit.
Once cancelled, pay your water supply charge manually when you receive a bill. You can pay online at Southern Water’s website or by phone. Do not pay the wastewater charge.
I pay online by card each time a bill is due. I’d recommend against setting up a new direct debit – paying manually keeps you in control of exactly what you’re paying and when.
Step 2 – Write to Southern Water
Do this at the same time as stopping payment, or within a day or two. This is important — you want a written record from the start.
Write to Southern Water at customerservices@southernwater.co.uk. I’d recommend against using their online contact form as then you won’t have a written record of your complaint.
You don’t need a long letter. Keep it factual and calm. Say:
- You are disputing the accuracy of your wastewater bill on the grounds that Southern Water is not delivering the service you are being charged for
- You are continuing to pay your water supply charges in full
- You are requesting that your account be placed on hold while your complaint is being investigated
- You want all future correspondence in writing
Do not use the word ‘boycott’. Frame this as a dispute about the accuracy of your bill, because that is what it is. You are a customer querying whether you are getting what you are paying for. This matters because Ofwat’s Paying Fair guidance states that collection activity should be paused while a disputed bill is being investigated. If you describe your action as a boycott, Southern Water and CCW will argue that guidance does not apply to you.
Each time a new bill arrives, I send a fresh message to Southern Water confirming I have again paid the water supply charge but not the wastewater charge, and that my reasons remain the same as my original complaint. This keeps the paper trail current.
There is a template letter in the Resources section that you can adapt.
Southern Water is legally required to respond to a written complaint within 10 working days. If they do not, you may be entitled to compensation under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme – keep a note of the date you submitted your complaint.
Step 3: Request your account be placed on hold
In my experience, Southern Water has placed my account on hold while my complaint has been active. I have not been charged administration fees or debt collection costs during this period.
That said, this is not guaranteed. CCW guidance states that Southern Water is not legally obliged to pause debt recovery simply because a dispute has been raised. So while requesting a hold is absolutely worth doing and has worked for me, you should be prepared for the possibility that it may not work for you.
If Southern Water refuses to place your account on hold, note that refusal in writing and factor it into your decision about whether to continue.
Step 4: Engage with everything, ignore nothing
This is probably the most important practical advice on this page.
If Southern Water contacts you – respond. If a debt collection agency contacts you – respond. Tell them your complaint is ongoing, that the amount is disputed, and ask them to refer the account back to Southern Water while the complaint is being investigated.
In my experience, debt collectors have done exactly that. But the key is engaging straight away, not ignoring contact and hoping it goes away. Ignoring letters or calls is how situations escalate.
Keep copies of every communication. Note the date and content of every phone call.
Step 5: If Southern Water doesn’t resolve it, escalate to CCW
If Southern Water rejects your complaint, responds inadequately, or fails to respond within eight weeks, you can escalate to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), the independent body that handles water company complaints. You do not need Southern Water’s consent to do this.
When you contact CCW, send them:
- Your original complaint to Southern Water (with date)
- Southern Water’s response, or evidence they haven’t responded in time
- Any debt collector correspondence
- A short timeline of events
A note from my own experience: the first time I went through this process, CCW were not helpful and I ended up paying what I owed before realising I could have escalated further. I’m now in my second round of withholding, and this time I know the full escalation route.
Step 6: Beyond CCW
If CCW cannot resolve the dispute, you have further options, in order:
- The Dispute Resolution Ombudsman – the next step after CCW; accessible through CCW rather than directly
- Ofwat – the industry regulator, for specific regulatory complaints
What happened to me
The first time I withheld, I did so for around two years. Each time a bill arrived I paid the water supply portion and sent Southern Water a message explaining I was again withholding the wastewater charge for the same reasons as my original complaint. Southern Water never replied directly to any of those messages.
Eventually my account was passed to a debt collection agency. I contacted them immediately, explained the dispute was ongoing, and asked them to refer the account back to Southern Water, which they did. I was not charged extra fees.
When CCW didn’t help and I didn’t realise I could escalate further, I paid what I owed and started again almost immediately, because nothing had changed.
I started withholding again in autumn 2025. Southern Water again failed to respond to my complaint within the required timeframe – itself a breach of their obligations – and I’m currently escalating to CCW and seeking compensation under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme for the delayed response.
I’m telling you this because I want you to go in with accurate expectations. This process is not quick, it is not comfortable, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. But it is a legitimate form of protest, and you are not alone in doing it.
A summary of the risks
- Debt collection action – likely if you withhold for an extended period
- Administration or legal costs – possible, though I have not experienced these
- Court action – possible in serious cases
- Impact on your credit rating – Southern Water can register a default after a period of non-payment
None of these are certain. But all of them are possible, and you should weigh them honestly before you start.