How to notify Southern Water when someone dies

When someone dies, notifying the water company is one of those tasks that can slip to the bottom of the list. But if direct debits are running, Southern Water will continue to bill the account – and without a meter reading logged close to the date of death, establishing where the final bill ends can become complicated. Dealing with it early means less to unpick later.

This guide covers how to notify Southern Water, what documents you will need, what happens to the account (including if the property is empty), and what support is available for surviving household members. Southern Water serves approximately 2.7 million customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.

Before you start: Tell Us Once – the government service that notifies HMRC, DWP, DVLA, and the Passport Office in a single step – does not cover water companies. Southern Water must be contacted directly, regardless of whether you have used Tell Us Once. (Source: gov.uk – organisations to contact after a death)

Quick reference:

• Phone: 0330 303 0368 (Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm)
• Online forms: southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/tell-us-about-a-bereavement
• Free multi-company service: estate-notify.co.uk/southernwater (via NotifyNow)
• Priority Services Register: 0800 027 0800

Source: Southern Water bereavement page, verified June 2026.

How to notify Southern Water

Southern Water offers three routes for bereavement notifications. All three are straightforward and do not require you to be available for a lengthy phone call if you prefer to handle things in writing.

By phone

Call 0330 303 0368, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. This is Southern Water’s general customer line; ask for the bereavement team when connected. The team can flag the account immediately, take a meter reading, and advise on next steps. It is the fastest way to get an account marked as deceased and prevent further billing in the account holder’s name.

When you call, have the following ready:

• The deceased’s name and property address
• The account number (from any water bill) if available
• The date of death
• A meter reading taken on or close to the date of death
• Your name, contact details, and relationship to the deceased

Via the online forms

Southern Water’s bereavement page provides three separate self-service forms:

1. Change account name details – for cases where someone is taking over the account
2. Add executor’s or solicitor’s details – to register an authorised representative
3. Close the account – for cases where the property is being sold or no one is continuing to reside there

Each form is described as taking a few minutes to complete. You will need the deceased’s title, full name, property address, postcode, payment reference number, and date of bereavement. The second step captures your own details as executor or next of kin.

These forms are particularly useful if you are handling multiple notifications remotely and want to avoid phone calls during business hours.

Online forms: southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/tell-us-about-a-bereavement

Via NotifyNow (free multi-company service)

Southern Water has a formal partnership with NotifyNow, a free death notification service that allows you to notify Southern Water alongside other companies in a single digital process. This is handled at estate-notify.co.uk/southernwater.

This is particularly useful if you are managing the estate remotely or dealing with many organisations at once. Unlike Life Ledger or Settld, the NotifyNow route is Southern Water’s own preferred digital channel – not a third-party intermediary.

Source: Southern Water bereavement page, verified June 2026.

Documents and information you will need

Southern Water’s requirements are lighter than those of banks or insurers. The table below sets out what you are likely to need.

You do not need every document before you make contact. Southern Water will accept an initial notification by phone or online form and follow up for any missing information.

What happens to the account

If someone is continuing to live at the property

Where a spouse, partner, or other household member remains at the property, Southern Water will update or 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 read for the old account and the opening read for the new one.

Any credit on the deceased’s account is refunded to the estate. Any outstanding balance becomes a debt of the estate. The continuing occupant starts fresh.

Joint accounts

If the account was in joint names, Southern Water will remove the deceased and continue the account in the surviving account holder’s name. Notify Southern Water to update the records and confirm the date-of-death meter reading.

If the property is empty during estate administration

This is the situation most executors face when no family member is moving in. Southern Water transfers the account to the estate or executor’s name while the property is being administered.

Standing charges continue to accrue on empty properties throughout estate administration. Unlike United Utilities – which waives charges for 12 weeks after a death – or Welsh Water – which can suspend charges for up to 12 months where the sole occupier has died – Southern Water does not have a publicised void period waiver. Contact the bereavement team directly to ask about their current policy for unoccupied properties; individual arrangements may be possible.

Notify Southern Water promptly that the property is empty. Do not assume charges will be suspended automatically.

For metered empty properties, no usage charges will accrue if nobody is consuming water, but standing charges continue regardless. If the property was previously unmetered, it may be worth requesting a meter for the duration – this ensures you pay only the infrastructure charge rather than an assessed usage figure.

Direct debits

Do not cancel the direct debit until you have received and settled the final bill. If the direct debit is cancelled before a zero-balance final bill arrives, any outstanding amount must be paid separately, creating additional administration. For broader guidance on handling direct debits after a death, see our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies.

Final bill and credit refunds

After notification, Southern Water issues 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.

Southern Water’s policy states that any estate balance is payable after probate is issued (where applicable), rather than immediately. This is a useful provision for executors who have not yet obtained the grant of representation and cannot immediately settle outstanding amounts.

For accounts with a balance requiring more detailed estate liaison, Southern Water works with Phillips and Cohen Associates, a specialist firm handling deceased accounts. If you receive contact from them, this is a legitimate Southern Water partner.

WaterSure and bill support

If a surviving household member is taking over the water account, they may be entitled to financial support schemes. These are independent of the bereavement process and can be applied for once the new account is set up.

WaterSure

WaterSure is a national scheme that caps the metered water bills of eligible households. For 2026–27, Southern Water’s WaterSure caps are:

• Water and wastewater combined: £759 per year
• Water only: £354 per year
• Wastewater only: £405 per year

Source: Southern Water affordability information, verified June 2026.

To qualify, the household must have a water meter and meet one of the following criteria:

• 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)
• Have three or more children under 19 living at the property who receive Child Benefit, or
• Have a medical condition that requires significantly above-average water use – such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, an abdominal stoma, home dialysis, desquamation, or a weeping skin condition (eczema, psoriasis, varicose ulceration)

To apply, use Southern Water’s Better Off Calculator at southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/what-if-i-cant-pay-my-bill.

WaterSure eligibility is a personal entitlement of the account holder and does not transfer automatically. A surviving occupant who takes over the account should apply in their own right if they meet the criteria.

Essentials Tariff

Southern Water’s Essentials Tariff (a social tariff) provides a discount of between 45% and 90% on water bills for households with income below £22,020 and savings below £16,000. If a surviving spouse or partner is on a reduced income after bereavement, this may significantly reduce their water bill. Apply via the Better Off Calculator.

Helping Hand scheme

Southern Water’s Helping Hand scheme provides grants to help customers clear water and sewerage debt where they are taking steps toward financial stability. This is funded by donations and available to customers in genuine hardship.

Priority Services Register

Southern Water’s Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free, confidential service for customers with additional support needs. It covers both temporary and long-term circumstances.

Relevant circumstances include:

• Disability or long-term health condition
• Recovery from illness or surgery
• Age-related needs
• Dependence on water for medical purposes (such as home dialysis)
• Communication requirements – large print, Braille, or audio bills
• Need for extra time and assistance managing the account

PSR customers receive a range of additional support:

• Priority bottled water delivery during supply outages
• Alternative bill formats (large print, Braille, audio)
• Knock-and-wait service – extra time to answer the door
• A security password scheme to verify identity of Southern Water callers
• Meter reading assistance

The PSR record is linked to the individual account holder and ends with the account. If a surviving occupant takes over the account and would benefit from priority services, they should register when the new account is set up.

To register: call 0800 027 0800 (have the 13-digit payment reference ready) or register online via the Priority Services section of southernwater.co.uk.

Source: Southern Water Priority Services Register page, verified June 2026.

Probate and water accounts

Probate is not required to close or transfer a Southern Water account. Water companies are service providers and potential creditors of the estate – they are not holding an asset, so there is no legal requirement to produce a grant of representation before closing or transferring an account.

However, Southern Water may request evidence of authority to act – such as a grant of probate or letters of administration – before issuing a credit refund to the estate. For straightforward notifications with no credit balance owing, this is rarely necessary.

Southern Water states explicitly that any estate balance is payable after probate is issued (if applicable), not immediately. This means executors should not feel pressure to settle an outstanding balance before they have the legal authority to do so.

Water debt is a debt of the estate, not a personal liability of the executor or any family member (unless they held the account jointly). Outstanding balances must be settled from estate assets before distribution to beneficiaries. For guidance on the probate process itself, see gov.uk/applying-for-probate.

How long does it take?

A straightforward Southern Water notification – where the account holder has died, the property is either transferring to a new occupant or closing, and there is no disputed balance – typically takes two to four weeks from notification to final bill.

The variables are:

• Whether the property is occupied or empty
• Whether documents arrive promptly
• Whether there is a credit or outstanding balance to resolve

Phillips and Cohen Associates handle estate liaison for accounts with outstanding balances; their involvement can extend timelines slightly. Keep a note of the date you notified Southern Water and any reference number given. If the final bill has not arrived within four weeks of submitting all documents, follow up on 0330 303 0368.

Things to watch out for

Take a meter reading before you call. The reading on or close to the date of death establishes where the final bill ends. Without it, Southern Water will estimate based on average consumption, which may not reflect actual usage. A timestamped photograph of the meter display is the most reliable record.

Southern Water’s online process is form-based, not phone-first. Unlike Yorkshire Water (which requires a phone call for bereavement notifications), Southern Water offers self-service online forms covering account name changes, executor registration, and full account closure. If handling multiple notifications in one go, the online form or NotifyNow route can save time compared to calling each company individually.

Phillips and Cohen Associates is a legitimate partner. If you receive a letter or call from Phillips and Cohen Associates in connection with a Southern Water account, this is not a debt collection agency in the traditional sense. They are a specialist deceased account management firm contracted by Southern Water to handle executor liaison and account settlement. Respond to them as you would to Southern Water directly.

Standing charges continue on empty properties. Southern Water does not have a publicised void period charge waiver comparable to United Utilities or Welsh Water. If the property is empty during estate administration, standing charges accrue daily from the date the account is transferred to the estate. For estates with a lengthy probate process, this can represent a meaningful ongoing cost. Raise this directly with the bereavement team at the outset.

Isle of Wight properties. Southern Water serves the Isle of Wight as part of its regular service area, alongside Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire. The notification process is identical for Isle of Wight properties. If the property is accessed via the ferry for estate purposes, factor the logistics into your timeline but the account process itself is the same as for mainland properties.

Automated letters after notification. It is common to receive a routine bill or payment reminder even after notifying the bereavement team, while the notification works through internal systems. If this happens, call back with your reference number to confirm the bereavement has been logged.

Summary

To notify Southern Water of a death, call 0330 303 0368 (Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm) or use the online forms at southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/tell-us-about-a-bereavement. The forms cover changing account name details, registering an executor, or closing the account entirely. Southern Water also accepts notifications via the free NotifyNow service at estate-notify.co.uk/southernwater.

Have ready: the deceased’s account number or property address, the date of death, a meter reading, and your contact details as executor or next of kin. Southern Water will issue a final bill once the account is closed; any outstanding balance is payable by the estate after probate is granted (if applicable), not immediately.

Standing charges continue on empty properties throughout estate administration. Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill is settled.

For guidance on water company notification processes in general – including contact details for all UK suppliers – see our guide to notifying your water company after a death. For other water company guides in this series, see our Thames Water bereavement guide, Severn Trent bereavement guide, and Yorkshire Water bereavement guide. For direct debit guidance, see what happens to direct debits when someone dies. For a complete list of organisations to notify after a death, see our what to do when someone dies guide.