Details

The charging scheme sets out the Environment Agency charges for activities that require:

• a permit or registered exemption under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016
• an abstraction or impounding licence under the Water Resources Act 1991 and Water Act 2003

To work out your application and annual charges you can use the guidance:

• Environmental permits: when and how you are charged
• Water resources licences: when and how you are charged

For water resources licences you can use the information in the water resources mapping tool to see:

• the surface water availability or groundwater status at the location
• whether the abstraction takes water from a supported source
• whether the abstraction point is in a modelling area

Use this information with the tables of charges to calculate your:

• application charge
• annual charge

If you are applying for an abstraction licence for your hydropower scheme, use Appendix 1: Hydroelectric power water abstraction levels.

We will implement the following charges as proposed in the consultation from 1 July 2025: 

• all hourly rate charges 
• fixed charges for medium combustion plant  
• waste exemption registration and compliance charges

Get help

If you have a question about your bill, use the contact details on the back of your invoice.

If you have a question about calculating a charge, contact the Environment Agency.

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.