Care homes depend on water every hour of the day. Residents need bathing and personal care, laundry runs constantly, kitchens prepare meals for residents and staff, and infection control means frequent cleaning. Water is an essential cost that can't simply be cut back, which makes it all the more important that the bill is accurate.
Our review looks at your care home's water bills and highlights anything that may be worth raising with your water retailer, so that you can focus your budget on care rather than on charges that might not be right.
How care homes typically use water
- Continuous, 24-hour demand. Unlike most businesses, there is no quiet overnight period, so night-time use alone isn't a reliable sign of a leak.
- Laundry. On-site laundries washing bedding and clothing at high temperatures are often among the largest users.
- Bathing and personal care in en-suite rooms, assisted bathrooms and wet rooms.
- Catering and cleaning for meals, drinks and infection-control routines.
- Water hygiene routines. Flushing little-used outlets as part of water safety management uses water too, and is an important part of keeping residents safe.
Because use is high and fairly constant, consumption should usually be reasonably consistent for a given number of residents. Unexplained changes can be a helpful signal.
What may be worth checking on your bills
Consumption compared with occupancy
If occupancy has stayed broadly similar but consumption has risen, it may be worth investigating. Our consumption and leak anomaly check compares usage over time to look for unexplained changes.
Estimated readings
Meters can be hard to access in older buildings or extended properties. Repeated estimates may mean bills don't reflect actual use and can be followed by a large adjustment.
Wastewater and sewerage charges
Sewerage charges are usually linked to the water a site uses. It can be worth checking how they have been calculated for your home. See our wastewater and sewerage charge check.
Surface water drainage
Care homes often have gardens, car parks and large roof areas. If rainwater from your site drains to a soakaway or watercourse rather than the public sewer, you may be able to apply for a rebate. Find out more about our surface water drainage charge review.
Older accounts and extensions
If your home has been extended, converted or changed ownership, meters, tariffs and charges may not have been updated. Our historic billing error review can look at whether earlier bills appear to have been affected.
A review that doesn't interrupt care
We work from your bills, so there's nothing for staff to do on site and no disruption to residents. We'll explain what we've found in plain language, and it's your decision whether to take anything further. If your home is one of several in a group, our multi-site support can review the whole portfolio together.
How to submit your bills
- Gather up to 12 months of water bills for each home.
- If possible, note the number of beds and any significant changes such as extensions, new laundry equipment or a change of ownership.
- Upload your care home water bills through our secure form.
- We'll review them and send you a summary of any possible findings. We'll explain any fees before any work goes ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Our water use is high because of laundry and bathing. Can a review still help?
High use is expected in care homes, so we don't treat it as a problem in itself. Instead we look for inconsistencies, such as changes that don't match occupancy, estimated readings or charges that may not fit your site.
Will the review involve visiting our home?
No. The review is based on the bills you send us, so there's no disruption to residents or staff.
Our home was extended a few years ago. Does that matter?
It may. Extensions and conversions can change how water is supplied and how rainwater drains, so it's worth checking that your bills were updated to match.
We run a group of homes. Can you review them all at once?
Yes. Send us the bills for each home and we'll review them together, which can also help to spot issues that repeat across sites.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026 · Written by the WaterBillCheck team
