Understanding your invoice

PDF invoice

The Water Retail Company’s PDF invoice format offers a structured, easy-to-read summary of water and wastewater charges, making it ideal for businesses that require a straightforward and accessible document. It ensures consistency and clarity by presenting key billing details such as the total amount due, billing period, and charge breakdown in a standardised layout.

Since PDF invoices are non-editable, they maintain data integrity, preventing accidental modifications that could lead to discrepancies. Additionally, they are widely accepted for official record-keeping, tax reporting, and audits, making them a reliable choice for businesses that need secure and formal documentation of their expenses. Our PDF invoice is designed to present a clear and concise summary of your water and wastewater charges. It is best suited for businesses looking for a quick overview of their charges without requiring detailed line-item data. It includes the below sections.

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7. Invoice breakdown provides detailed information about meter reads and charges, categorising them into volumetric and non-volumetric ones, along with any applicable adjustments or fees. 

8. Meter reads – The recorded water usage for each meter, showing the start and end readings for the billing period.

• Meter Serial Number – Identifier for the physical water meter.
• Meter size – The chargeable capacity or diameter of the meter, indicating its flow rate capability.
• RTS (%) – Return to Sewer percentage, estimating how much of the supplied water is returned to the sewer system.
• Start read – The meter reading at the beginning of the billing period.
• Date – The date when the start read was recorded.
• Type – Specifies whether the reading is estimated, an actual physical read, the final read before disconnection, or the initial read for a new meter.
• End read – The meter reading at the end of the billing period.
• Date – The date when the end read was recorded.
• Type – Indicates whether the end read is estimated, actual, final, or initial.

9. Volumetric charges present charges which are based on the amount of water consumed, calculated per unit of volume (cubic meters). 

• Charge name – The specific name of the volumetric charge applied, such as water consumption or wastewater disposal.
• Units – The total volume consumed during the charge period
• Rate – The cost per unit of volume consumed during the charge period
• Metric – The measurement unit used for billing, typically cubic meters (m³).
• Charge – The total cost for the volumetric usage during the billing period (units x rate)
• Star date – The date when the charge period begins.
• End date – The date when the charge period ends. 

10. Non-volumetric charges are fixed charges that apply regardless of water consumption, such as standing charges or fixed service fees.

• Charge name – The specific name of the non-volumetric charge.
• Units – The quantity or frequency of the charge applied (e.g., number of days or billing periods).
• Rate – The cost per unit of quantity used during the charge period.
• Metric – The measurement unit used for billing, typically per day.
• Charge – The total cost for the non-volumetric service during the charge period (units x rate).
• Start date – The date when the charge period begins.
• End date – The date when the charge period ends.

11. Invoice totals represent the overall amount due for the billing period, including all volumetric, non-volumetric charges, and any adjustments.

• Net invoice value – The total cost of all charges before VAT is applied.
• VAT @ 20% on water charges – The value-added tax (VAT) applied at 20% to applicable water charges.
• Total invoice value – The final amount payable, including all charges and VAT.

Consolidated invoice

The Water Retail Company’s consolidated invoice provides a flexible and detailed approach to managing invoices, particularly beneficial for businesses handling multiple sites or requiring in-depth financial analysis. Our consolidated invoicing service simplifies billing by providing a single, comprehensive invoice for all your meters across all sites. With unified payment terms, a consolidated summary of water consumption and charges, and just one monthly payment, you eliminate the hassle of managing multiple invoices from different retailers. Additionally, consolidating your data gives you better visibility into your water usage, helping you track consumption trends across your entire portfolio with ease.

With the option to view invoices as a single row or break down charges into multiple rows, businesses can tailor the format to their reporting needs. The Excel format allows for easy sorting, filtering, and integration into financial systems, making data reconciliation and budget tracking more efficient. By offering a granular breakdown of costs, it helps businesses allocate expenses accurately across different departments or locations, ultimately improving financial oversight and decision-making. We can also provide a .CSV file, allowing you to load the data to your preferred application or system for further processing and analysis.

Our consolidated invoice provides detailed insights into individual charges across multiple sites. The actual example is available upon request, but here are the sections it includes:

• Client information: company and site name, addresses and post codes
• Basic invoice information: invoice number, account number, invoice date, due date, billing period, SPID, WSPID, SSPID, DPID, meter serial number, RTS, total consumption, average daily usage and total invoice value.
• Volumetric and non-volumetric charges: individual charge name, units, rate, unit of measurement, charge value, charge start date, charge end date, meter reads, reading dates and read types.

This invoice includes a summary sheet along with two breakdown sheets, both showing the same information but structured differently to accommodate different reporting preferences.

Version 1 presents data horizontally where each invoice is represented by a single row in the Excel spreadsheet. This version is ideal for businesses that need a high-level overview of invoices without requiring an extensive charge breakdown and data manipulation.

Version 2 presents data vertically where every charge within an invoice is listed as a separate row, allowing for a detailed breakdown of costs. This format provides enhanced visibility into cost distribution, making it particularly useful for businesses that conduct in-depth financial analysis, budget tracking, or cost allocation across different sites.