Highway drainage in 2026

JamboJet

Hi All,
I hope you are well.
What is the deal with the so called Highway drainage in 2026?
Does this too include the drainage of this many potholes?

What are the rules as I can see the water companies do it differently and this is confusing.
I don't remember my water bill having this extra charge before. I reckon before they included it in the waste water charges,

The way this charge appears on the bill depends on water company. While all companies include it, their billing structures vary.

• As a Separate Fixed Charge: Some companies, like United Utilities, list "Highway drainage" as a clear, separate fixed annual charge on their bills . For example, for the 2026/27 period, their metered household charge is £46.50 .
• Included in a Combined Sewerage Charge: Other companies, such as Anglian Water, include the highway drainage cost within a combined fixed charge for sewerage services. Their tariff for 2025/26 shows a sewerage fixed charge of £116.25, which is noted as "includes a fixed charge of £23 to cover highway drainage" .
• As a Per-Unit Charge: For unmetered customers, some companies apply highway drainage as a charge based on the rateable value of your property. Yorkshire Water, for instance, shows a "Highway drainage charge" of 29.30p for every pound of your property's rateable value for 2026/27.

How is it in your case?

born_again

Not sure anyone is liable for pot hole drainage, given it is not part of a road etc. Most self drain, as the nature of a pot hole is that it has passed the water proof layer.

You best tack is to report pot hole to council, who might come & fix it thus drainage of such is no longer a issue.

JamboJet

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81889354#Comment_81889354

I think in that case we need a new definition of a road because if potholes are not part of it then some roads look like Swiss cheese. In Waze up people report all sorts of things on the road but the number of warnings for potholes has exploded in recent months. In some places I can see like 30 warnings on a screen.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81889632#Comment_81889632

what has that got to do with domestic water bills either way?

JamboJet

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890294#Comment_81890294

not much but pothole infestation is a new phenomenon, perhaps water companies should give us a discount since these roads no longer drain as they should

freesha

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890592#Comment_81890592

Not the fault of the water companies though.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890592#Comment_81890592

Water companies do not maintain roads. Do you also think your energy supplier should give you a discount if the supermarket is out of baked beans?

JamboJet

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890920#Comment_81890920

Indeed because no baked beans in the supermarket means there is less greenhouse gas emission (methane) so we run more ecologically according to new standards.