When someone dies, their water account is one of the less urgent notifications – but it is still one you need to make. The meter reading at the date of death establishes where the final bill ends. Notify Northumbrian Water promptly and the process is short: a single phone call or an online form submission is enough to get the account flagged, and the bereavement team handles the rest.
Northumbrian Water serves around 2.7 million customers across the North East of England – County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside. The same parent company, Northumbrian Water Limited, also operates Essex & Suffolk Water, which serves approximately 1.8 million customers across parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Greater London. The bereavement process for Essex & Suffolk Water customers uses the same phone number and the same online form (see below).
This guide covers how to notify them, what documents you will need, what happens to the account, and what to watch out for.
Quick reference:
- Bereavement phone: 0800 090 2422 (free to call from a mobile or landline)
- Online notification: help.settld.care/express/nwl/account (via Settld, free to use)
- Essex & Suffolk Water customers: same phone number and online form
- Tell Us Once does not cover water companies – you must notify Northumbrian Water directly
Source: Northumbrian Water bereavement page, verified June 2026.
How to notify Northumbrian Water
Northumbrian Water offers two notification routes: by phone or through an online form powered by Settld.
By phone: Call 0800 090 2422, which is freephone from both landlines and mobiles. You will be connected to an experienced bereavement support team. There is no published schedule for the bereavement line – 0800 numbers typically follow standard customer service hours, so calling Monday to Friday during business hours is the safest approach. The team can take all the required details over the phone and will confirm next steps.
Online via Settld: Northumbrian Water has partnered with Settld, a free service for bereaved families. Their dedicated form for Northumbrian Water is at help.settld.care/express/nwl/account. The advantage of Settld is that the same submission can notify multiple organisations – banks, insurers, and other utility companies – in a single process. If you are managing notifications across multiple accounts, this can save considerable time.
Essex & Suffolk Water: If the property is in Essex, Suffolk, or the relevant parts of Greater London (Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge), the account will be held with Essex & Suffolk Water rather than Northumbrian Water. The bereavement process is identical: call 0800 090 2422 or use the Essex & Suffolk Water online form.
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (bereavement team) | 0800 090 2422 – freephone |
| Online (via Settld) | help.settld.care/express/nwl/account |
| Essex & Suffolk Water | Same phone number – 0800 090 2422 |
Source: Northumbrian Water bereavement page, verified June 2026.
Documents and information you will need
Northumbrian Water’s requirements are lighter than those of banks or insurers. You do not need to have everything ready before you call – the team will still take the notification if you are missing some details. That said, having the following available will make the call straightforward.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Deceased’s full name | As it appears on the account |
| Property address | The address the account covers |
| Account number | Found on any water bill; the address will locate it if you do not have the number |
| Date of birth of the deceased | Used to verify the account |
| Date of death | Used to produce the final bill correctly |
| Water meter reading | Taken on or close to the date of death – a timestamped photograph is the most reliable record |
| Your name and contact details | As executor, next of kin, or appointed solicitor |
| Your relationship to the deceased | How you are connected to the account holder |
| Forwarding address | For the final bill and any refund correspondence |
| Death certificate | A copy is usually sufficient; an interim certificate is accepted if the coroner is still investigating |
If Northumbrian Water requests the death certificate, post a copy – not the original. If you need additional certified copies, each costs £12.50 in England. You can order them at the register office at the time of registration, or later via gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate.
What happens to the account
Northumbrian Water accounts are tied to the property, not to the individual. This shapes how the account is handled after a death.
If someone is continuing to live at the property
Northumbrian Water will close the deceased’s account and open a new one in the continuing occupant’s name. The meter reading from the date of death becomes the closing reading for the old account and the opening reading for the new one.
Any credit on the deceased’s account is refunded to the estate; any outstanding balance is a debt of the estate. The new occupant starts with a clean account. They should set up a new direct debit for the new account – the old arrangement belonged to the old account and should not be assumed to carry over.
Joint accounts
If the account was held in joint names, Northumbrian Water will remove the deceased and continue it in the surviving account holder’s name. Notify the bereavement team and confirm the meter reading at the date of death.
If the property is empty during estate administration
Once you notify Northumbrian Water, the account can be placed in the executor’s name or transferred to the estate while probate is underway. Standing charges continue to accrue on an empty property until the property is sold, a new occupant moves in, or the account is closed.
Northumbrian Water does not publish a void period charge waiver comparable to United Utilities (which waives charges for 12 weeks) or Welsh Water (which can suspend charges for up to 12 months during probate). Notify Northumbrian Water early that the property is unoccupied so the account status is recorded correctly and you receive correspondence in the estate’s name rather than the deceased’s.
For metered properties, no water consumption charges will accrue if the property is genuinely empty and the stopcock is off, but the standing charge covers infrastructure and continues regardless of usage.
Metered and unmetered accounts
Metered properties are billed on actual consumption. The meter reading at the date of death establishes the end point of the final bill. Take this reading as early as possible and photograph the meter display with a timestamp – this prevents any dispute over estimated usage.
Unmetered properties are billed at a fixed assessed rate based on the rateable value of the property, regardless of consumption. If the property is unmetered and will be empty during estate administration, it is worth asking Northumbrian Water about switching to a meter. On an empty property, a meter means you pay only the standing charge rather than a usage estimate.
Final bill and credit refunds
After notification, Northumbrian Water will produce a final bill covering the period up to the date of death. If the account was in credit – common where direct debit payments exceeded actual usage – the balance will be refunded to the estate. Chase this after four weeks if nothing has arrived.
Do not cancel the direct debit until you have received the final bill and confirmed the balance is settled. For broader guidance, see our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies.
WaterSure and bill support
WaterSure is a national scheme that caps the metered water bills of eligible households. Northumbrian Water participates. If a surviving household member takes over the account and meets the criteria, they can apply in their own right.
To qualify, the household must:
- Have a water meter installed
- Receive at least one qualifying means-tested benefit – Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Meet at least one further condition:
- Have three or more children living at the property, or
- Have a medical condition that requires significantly above-average water use (including incontinence, kidney or bladder conditions, weeping skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, or home dialysis)
Northumbrian Water’s WaterSure cap is set at the average measured household bill for the region. Based on the 2026-27 charges, this is approximately £537 per year for combined water and sewerage. To apply, call 0345 733 5566 or download the WaterSure application form from nwl.co.uk/watersure.
Northumbrian Water also offers a Low Income Discount (reducing bills by up to 50% for households with income under £30,000 or those receiving Pension Credit), a Reduced Bill Scheme, and a flexible payment plan. These may be relevant to a surviving spouse or partner managing the household on a reduced income. See nwl.co.uk/help-and-support/financial-support.
Source: Northumbrian Water WaterSure page, Northumbrian Water financial support page, verified June 2026.
Priority Services Register
Northumbrian Water’s Priority Services Register (PSR) provides additional support for customers in vulnerable circumstances. Services include:
- A password protection scheme, so customers can verify the identity of Northumbrian Water callers before allowing entry
- Bills in accessible formats – large print, Braille, or audio
- British Sign Language video translation
- Priority notification of planned supply interruptions, particularly for customers using home medical equipment such as dialysis machines
- Bottled water delivery if supply is interrupted for more than a few hours
- Extra time to answer phones and doors
- Option to nominate a third party (carer, friend, or family member) to manage the account
PSR registration is linked to the individual account holder. When a registered customer dies, their PSR record does not automatically transfer. If a surviving occupant takes over the account and would benefit from priority services, they should ask to be registered when the new account is set up. To register, visit nwl.co.uk/help-and-support/priority-services/register-for-priority-services or call 0800 090 2422.
Source: Northumbrian Water Priority Services page, verified June 2026.
Probate and water accounts
Probate is not required to close or transfer a Northumbrian Water account. Water companies are service providers – they are not holding an asset of the estate, so there is no legal requirement to prove authority before closing or transferring an account.
However, if there is a credit balance to be refunded to the estate, Northumbrian Water may ask for evidence of authority to act – such as a grant of probate or letters of administration – before issuing the refund. For straightforward account closures with no credit owed, this is rarely necessary.
Water debt is a debt of the estate, not a personal liability of the executor or any family member, unless they were named on the account as a joint account holder. Outstanding balances must be settled from estate assets before distribution to beneficiaries. For guidance on the overall probate process, see gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
How long does it take?
A straightforward Northumbrian Water notification – sole account holder, property either transferring to a new occupant or closing, no disputed balance – typically takes up to 10 working days from notification to final bill. More complex situations, such as a credit refund requiring probate documentation, will take longer.
The main variables are:
- Whether the property is occupied or empty
- Whether the death certificate and supporting information are submitted promptly
- Whether there is a credit balance to resolve, and whether probate documents are needed before that can be released
Keep a note of when you called and any reference number the team provides. If the final bill has not arrived within four weeks of submitting all documents, follow up by calling 0800 090 2422.
Things to watch out for
Take a meter reading before you call. The reading at the date of death is the point at which the final bill ends. If you do not have one, Northumbrian Water will estimate based on average usage – which may not reflect actual consumption. A timestamped photograph of the meter display gives you a reliable record to refer back to if there is any discrepancy.
Essex & Suffolk Water customers need to check the right brand. Northumbrian Water Limited operates two trading brands – Northumbrian Water in the North East, and Essex & Suffolk Water in parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Greater London. If the property is in Essex or Suffolk, the account will be with Essex & Suffolk Water, not Northumbrian Water. Both brands use the same bereavement phone number (0800 090 2422), so the practical difference is minimal, but it is worth knowing.
Standing charges continue on empty properties. Northumbrian Water does not offer a standard void period waiver during estate administration. The standing charge accumulates daily until the account is formally resolved. Notify Northumbrian Water early that the property is unoccupied, so the account status is recorded and correspondence reaches you as executor.
Automated letters may arrive after notification. It is common to receive a routine bill or payment reminder even after notifying the bereavement team, while the notification is being processed internally. If this happens, call back with your reference number to confirm the bereavement has been logged.
Do not cancel the direct debit early. The direct debit should remain in place until you have received a final bill showing a zero balance. Cancelling it early leaves any outstanding amount to be paid separately, creating additional administration.
Tell Us Once does not cover water companies. Tell Us Once notifies central government departments – HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office, and your local council – when someone dies. It does not cover utility companies. You must contact Northumbrian Water directly, regardless of whether you have used Tell Us Once.
Summary
To notify Northumbrian Water after a death, call 0800 090 2422 (freephone) or submit the online form at help.settld.care/express/nwl/account. Essex & Suffolk Water customers use the same phone number.
Have ready: the deceased’s name and date of birth, the account number or property address, the date of death, a meter reading, and your contact details as executor or next of kin. A copy of the death certificate may be requested before any credit balance is refunded.
Standing charges continue on empty properties throughout estate administration. Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill is settled.
For guidance on all UK water companies – including contact details for every major supplier – see our guide to notifying your water company after a death. If you are managing multiple notifications alongside the water account, our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies covers how to handle payment arrangements safely. For a similar process at a neighbouring water company, see our Yorkshire Water bereavement guide. For a complete list of everything to notify after a death, see our what to do when someone dies guide.