Credit Score Basics > Does Thames Water report to the credit reference agencies?

Does Thames Water report to the credit reference agencies?

Wollit Team1 minute read · Updated 18th September 2024

Thames Water is the largest water supplier in the UK, providing water to millions of homes and businesses.

However, Thames Water does not report your payments to the UK credit reference agencies. This means that as long as you pay your bills on time, it will not directly affect your credit score. However, failing to pay bills can lead to collections, and this can harm your score. Here is how it works.

Why doesn’t Thames Water report my bill payments?

Thames Water does not report regular payments because water services are considered essential utilities rather than traditional borrowing.

Unlike loans or credit agreements that involve repayment terms and interest rates, paying for water is seen as a necessary expense.

Can missing Thames Water bills affect my credit score?

While Thames Water does not report regular payments, there are still ways it can impact your credit and ability to get loans in the future:

If you do not pay your water bill and it goes unpaid for a long time, Thames Water may send the debt to a collection agency. This could then be reported to credit reference agencies and harm your credit score.
If you have many unpaid bills with Thames Water, your account can also be closed in default. A default will hurt your credit score much more and will stay on your credit file for up to six years.
Also, when applying for loans or mortgages, lenders will often want to look at your recent bank statements. Seeing many missed payments related to unpaid bills may raise concerns about how well you manage your money.

However, what lenders care most about is your credit history.

Luckily, now there are many apps that can help you build and improve credit.

One such app is Wollit. Wollit is an app that reports your monthly subscription as loan repayment, helping you build a history of timely repayments without the risk of getting hit with high-interest charges or going over your card limit. It can even report your monthly rent payment to Experian, adding another line in your credit report that shows lenders you're responsible and pay your bills on time.