Frequently asked questions
Your consumption could have increased for multiple reasons:
Have you changed your water usage, for example, increased the number of outlets or taken on more people?
Do you think you might have a leak? See our blog on how to do a leak test.
Are you on a shared supply?
If you aren't sure, or would like further advice, please call us on 0330 6600 137.
Either via our portal (log in here), over the phone on 0330 6600 137 or by emailing meter.readings@everflowwater.com – whichever way you prefer!
Some non-household customers pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on water bills. VAT is chargeable to customers who have a SIC classification between 1 and 5 of the 1980 edition of Standard Industry Classifications. VAT will be charged at 20% on clean water services if your business falls into one of the following categories:
- Division 1 – Energy and water supply industries
- Division 2 – Extraction of minerals and ores other than fuels; manufacture of metals, mineral products and chemicals.
- Division 3 – Metal goods, engineering and vehicle industries. Manufacture of metal goods not elsewhere specified.
- Division 4 – Other manufacturing industries
- Division 5 – Construction
Please get in touch with us if you think that your VAT status needs updating.
• Who repaired the leak? (e.g. plumber, yourself)
• The date of the repair
• A plumber’s report/ invoice and any other evidence such as photos etc.
• A meter reading directly after the repair
• A meter reading at least 14 days later
• The date the leak was first noticed
• The location of the leak
• Where did the water drain away to?
We aim to read our customers meters every six months, but we also encourage all of our metered customers to send us monthly readings via our portal.
Here's a few reasons why having regular meter readings is so important:
Accurate billing
The first and most obvious point: accurate billing. If you send us a read up to five working days before your bill date, we can make sure that your read is included in your monthly bill, and ensure that your charges are as accurate as possible. If you can send us regular reads, you can avoid getting a catch-up bill from where your usage might have been higher or lower than estimated.
Leak detection
Let's hope it never comes to it, but leaks do happen, and they can happen in pipes that aren't visible to you. Eventually, if gone unnoticed, this can cause property damage, damp, and large bills. However, regular meter reads can help identify when things go wrong. If your meter shows increased consumption but you do not believe your usage has changed, it could mean that you have a leak. If you think you may have a leak, a simple leak test (you can find out how to do one here) will help identify if there is one, and allow you to make the relevant repairs as soon as possible.
Environmentally friendly
We know what you're thinking, how can reading your meter regularly make you more environmentally friendly? Keeping on top of your water usage and your bills makes you more aware of the amount of water that you're using. As you encourage your business to be efficient about your water usage, you'll be saving water and reducing the stress on the planet's water resources.
Hopefully we've convinced you that reading your water meter regularly is important.
If it is safe and legal for you to read your meter yourself, we recommend sending us meter readings every month. If you send us a reading five working days before your bill date, we can make sure it is reflected in your monthly invoice.
You can access the portal online between 7am and 9pm.
Click here to create your account. You will need to input your account number (including any -0 or -1 etc at the end) and follow the link that will be sent to the contact email address on your account.
Try the following, one at a time:
1. Refresh your browser and try again
2. Log out and log back in again. Click on the logout button in the top right of the Customer portal to log out. This will then take you to a log in screen. Fill in your login details and sign in.
3. Clear your browser's cache. Sometimes web pages won't load if your browser's cache needs clearing. 4. Click this link to learn how to clear the cache on your browser (https://fabricdigital.co.nz/blog/how-to-hard-refresh-your-browser-and-clear-cache)
5. Restart your device. Make sure any documents are saved, and turn your device off and on again.
If you are not connected to a WiFi connection, you will need some form of mobile data coverage. Mobile data coverage can be patchy, so you may need to move to a location with better coverage, or find a WiFi network. If you are unsure if this is the case, try accessing another website and see if it is working.
A bandwidth of 10Mbps or above is normally needed. You can use this website to check your network bandwidth: https://fast.com