The 2021 Wholesale Charges Deferral Scheme (WCDS) is a temporary change to water and sewerage payment arrangements put in place by the regulator. Under the WCDS, qualifying businesses will be able to temporarily defer the payment of a proportion of their water and sewerage charges.
All deferred charges remain payable and will be due for payment after the end / exit of the scheme.
What is it for?
The purpose of WCDS is to allow customers to defer some of their costs for the period between 1 May 2021 and 31 March 2022.
Instead of paying now, you can apply to pay some or all of your charges next year in the same corresponding month – i.e. pay some of your charges for August 2021 in August 2022.
Am I eligible?
Customers with meters of up to 25mm, unmetered customers, and those with drainage-only services, are eligible.
Deferral can be applied to charges for water, wastewater and drainage services, however trade effluent services (availability and operational charges) do not qualify.
There is also scope to waive volumetric water and wastewater charges for customers on assessed services (pseudo meter).
How can I apply?
To start the application process please complete the form below, or contact our credit control team on 0131 510 6909. We will review your application and contact you about the level of support we can offer. This may be based on your credit score and credit history with us.
Where can I find out more about the scheme?
Further information is available from
- Scottish Water (wholesaler / network operator): New 2021 Wholesale Charges Deferral Scheme
- Water Industry Commission for Scotland (industry regulator): Consultation: Measures in Support of the Retail Market