Separate supply costs, estimated payments and other local charges
A drinking-water invoice can combine a fixed charge, the water used and taxes, while your payments may be advances against a later settlement. Other homes are charged without an individual meter or through the landlord. Learn which arrangement you have, what information to check and why a separate local assessment is not automatically the same bill twice.
The statement
Dutch drinking-water bills look different per supplier, but almost all of them combine the same building blocks: a fixed charge for the connection, a usage charge for the cubic metres between two readings, the national tax on tap water, VAT, and a comparison with the advances you already paid. Know what each line means and you can check any annual or final statement in a few minutes, without needing the exact tariff in your head.
Illustration without amounts. Your supplier's layout and wording can differ; the current tariffs are on its own tariff page.
A daily or yearly amount for the connection and the meter. You pay it for every day you are responsible for the address, even if you use little water or stay only briefly.
The cubic metres between the opening and closing reading, multiplied by the supplier's tariff per cubic metre. Estimated readings are marked as such on most statements.
A national tax per cubic metre that the supplier collects on behalf of the government. It appears on the drinking-water bill, not on a separate tax letter.
Value added tax on the drinking-water charges. Suppliers show it separately or include it in the line amounts.
The monthly or periodic instalments you paid during the period. They are estimates, not the price of your water.
The real costs minus the advances. A positive balance is an extra payment, a negative one is refunded, and the next advance is usually adjusted.
Advances and settlement
Most renters who hold their own water account pay a fixed advance every month. Once a year, and again when you move out, the supplier compares those advances with your real use and fixed charges. The difference is charged or refunded and the next advance is recalculated. A big refund or an unexpected extra payment usually means the advance was set for a different household size or the readings were estimated.
A monthly or periodic instalment, set by the supplier from the home and the household, often adjustable in your online account.
Once a year the supplier asks for your meter reading or reads the meter. Without one, the use is estimated.
The annual statement, or the final statement when you move, compares the real costs with the advances paid.
The next instalment is recalculated. Check it against your household, especially after people move in or out.
How your home is billed
How a rented home pays for drinking water depends on the meter and the tenancy, not only on the supplier. Most renters have their own meter and their own account. Some homes have no individual meter and are billed on another basis that differs per company. Others get water through the landlord, who holds the account and charges it through the rent or the service charges. Find your setup to know which document to check and who can answer your question.
The most common setup: an individual meter in the home and a supplier account in your name.
Some older homes and buildings were never fitted with individual meters. Billing then depends on the supplier.
Common for rooms, student housing and buildings with a shared meter. You never deal with the supplier directly.
Not your water bill
Renters in the Netherlands often receive several letters that mention water, and only one of them is the drinking-water bill. The municipality charges for the sewer system, the regional water board charges for water management and wastewater treatment, and a landlord may pass on water through the service charges. Each has its own issuer, rules and contact, so knowing which is which saves you from calling the wrong organisation or paying the same amount twice.
The regional drinking-water company.
Water delivered to the home: fixed charge, usage, tap-water tax and VAT.
Yours when the account is in your name. Advances are settled once a year and when you move.
The municipality, sometimes through a joint tax office.
Collection and transport of wastewater and rainwater through the municipal sewer.
Depending on the municipality it is charged to the owner, the user or both. Check the assessment.
The regional water authority (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap).
Dikes, water levels and the treatment of household wastewater.
Households usually pay the residents' share and the treatment charge, which depends on household size.
The landlord or housing association.
Water and other shared costs the landlord pays and passes on, if the tenancy says so.
You can ask for a yearly breakdown of the actual costs and the supplier invoices behind it.
Struggling to pay? Municipalities and water boards can grant remission (kwijtschelding) of their taxes for households with a low income. The drinking-water bill is not a tax, so remission does not apply there; ask the supplier about a payment arrangement instead.
Official tariffs
Drinking-water tariffs are set by each company and change once a year, so Luntero does not copy prices onto this page. Use the official tariff pages below for the current fixed charge, price per cubic metre and taxes of your supplier, and open the billing notes for how that company handles advances, settlements, homes without a meter and costs that run through a landlord. Compare a bill only with the tariff of the company and the year it covers.
The bill separates water consumption, fixed charges and taxes. Some municipal charges may also be collected through Brabant Water. Its 2026 guidance states that De Dommel's water-board charges are collected by BSOB instead; do not assume every regional levy is included. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileDunea charges for consumption and availability through a fixed charge, with applicable taxes. A change in household size can affect the advance. Use the current tariff schedule and check whether displayed amounts include tax before estimating your costs. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileThe advance covers estimated consumption, fixed charges and taxes. Evides lets customers adjust it in Mijn Evides. Its tariff page explains that standard estimates may be used if no expected consumption is supplied; check the assumption against your household instead of accepting it as your measured use. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileOasen's bill combines variable consumption, an annual fixed charge and taxes. New registration may attract an administration fee; Oasen states that online registration is cheaper than telephone or letter. Check the current tariff schedule rather than assuming registration is free. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profilePWN distinguishes consumption and fixed charges, including different arrangements behind a central water meter. Check the appropriate meter capacity and whether a quoted amount includes water tax. The tariff for a separate household meter should not automatically be applied to a shared building supply. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileMijn Vitens provides account and payment management, including help with payments. The advance reflects expected use and may change when tariffs change. Check the fixed charge, water-consumption charge and tax lines separately, and compare paid advances with the annual or final settlement. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileThe tariff explanation separates consumption, fixed charge, water tax and VAT. Check the relevant tariff year and meter category. Use the current tariff schedule and check whether displayed amounts include tax before estimating your costs. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileWaternet has separate tariff explanations for homes with and without a water meter. Unmetered charges use property units, so a metered per-cubic-metre calculation is inappropriate. Keep drinking-water costs distinct from sewer and water-board assessments, even when the organisations or correspondence appear related. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileWMD publishes distinct tariff categories for an individual meter, certain unmetered flats and a central meter. Confirm which category applies before using a per-cubic-metre rate. Its displayed tariff table excludes water tax and VAT, so the table alone is not the final payable amount. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileWML separates water consumption, a capacity-based fixed charge, taxes and a statutory inspection contribution. A standard household connection example is not a quote for every building. Ask which capacity/category applies and distinguish the drinking-water account from water-board charges. An instalment is an advance, not an all-inclusive price. For a metered supply, compare opening and closing readings; for an unmetered supply, verify the applicable units or billing category. Check the billing dates, consumption, fixed charges and tax lines on the settlement. A short tenancy or low consumption does not automatically remove applicable fixed charges. Use the current official tariff schedule rather than a national average to budget.
Supplier profileSomething looks wrong
An unexpected settlement is rarely a mystery once you line it up with your own records. Most differences come from an estimated reading, a period that starts before your key date, the wrong meter, a household change that never reached the advance, or a letter from a different organisation altogether. Work through these checks with your handover report and bank statements before you call the supplier.
The start and end dates should match your key dates. A period that starts earlier can include the previous tenant's use.
Statements mark estimated readings. Submit an actual reading with a photo if the estimate is far from the meter.
Compare the meter number on the bill with the one in your home or handover report, especially in apartment buildings.
A short stay or low use does not remove the fixed charge. It is counted per day you were responsible for the address.
If the household changed, ask to adjust the advance so the next settlement is not a surprise.
A tax assessment from the municipality or water board is not a supplier bill. Contact the issuer printed on the letter.
Bills FAQ
Answers about the fixed charge, advance payments, refunds, estimated readings, homes without a meter, water billed by the landlord and the water taxes that arrive separately from the drinking-water bill.
Vastrecht is the fixed charge for the connection and the meter. You pay it per day or year that you are responsible for the address, regardless of how much water you use. A short tenancy or low use reduces the usage charge, but not the fixed charge for the days you held the account.
The supplier estimates your yearly costs from the home and the household size, or from previous use at the address, and spreads them over monthly or periodic instalments. You can often change the amount in your online account. The annual statement then settles the difference with your real use.
The annual statement compares your advances with the real costs. A refund means you paid more in advances than you used; an extra bill means the advances were too low, often because the household grew or the first advance was based on an estimate. The next advance is usually adjusted.
Not by itself. Suppliers estimate when no reading was submitted. If the estimate is far from your meter, submit an actual reading with a dated photo and ask for a corrected statement. An estimate is not proof of overcharging, but it is worth checking.
That depends on the supplier. Some companies use a tariff based on property features, as Waternet does with units in parts of Amsterdam, and others use their own estimates. Ask the supplier or the landlord which basis applies and check that the property details on the bill are correct.
Ask for the yearly breakdown of service charges with the actual costs, the division between homes and the supplier invoices behind it. If you disagree with the amounts, raise it with the landlord first; depending on your tenancy, the Huurcommissie can assess disputed service charges.
No. The water board sends its own tax assessment for water management and wastewater treatment, and the municipality charges the sewerage charge. The drinking-water bill only covers the water delivered to your home, with the tap-water tax and VAT.
Keep the issuer, billing period and readings beside you when reviewing a charge. The supplier profile leads to official tariff information; landlord-billed water should also be checked against the tenancy arrangement.
Key-day meter readings, registering the new home and closing the old account, including overlapping tenancies and shared meters.
Plan your water moveSearch your city, see the likely drinking-water company and jump straight to its official address check before you register.
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