Quick answer: Sometimes, yes. A free water butt depends on which water company supplies your home and where you live. Some companies give them away in target areas or as part of a free water-saving home visit, others sell them at a discount, and some have nothing on offer. Check your water company’s website, enter your postcode, and see what’s available.
Who doesn’t like the sound of a freebie? It’s rainwater that costs nothing, collected in a container that cost nothing, for a garden that needs it more every summer. The good news is that UK water companies do run schemes that give away or discount water butts. The less good news is that they come and go, vary from region to region, and often depend on your postcode.
This guide explains how the schemes work, what kind of water butt you can expect, which companies have offered them, and what to do if there’s nothing available in your area.
Why water companies give away water butts
Water companies have a clear interest in saving water. Every litre you use from a water butt in the garden is a litre that doesn’t have to be treated and pumped to your outside tap. During a dry summer, when demand for water peaks, that matters.
Some schemes have a second purpose: slowing the flow of rainwater into sewers and drains during heavy storms. A water butt that catches rain from your roof holds it back for a while, rather than sending it straight down the downpipe.
That’s why you’ll find water butts listed alongside other water saving products and devices such as shower timers, water efficient shower heads and leaky loo strips. They’re all part of the same push to help customers save water and save money on their bills, particularly if they’re on a water meter.
How free water butt schemes usually work
Most schemes follow a similar pattern:
- Check your postcode. Your water company’s website, or a partner website, asks for your postcode to see whether you’re in an eligible area.
- Answer a few questions. Typically, whether you have a suitable, accessible downpipe and somewhere to put the butt.
- Order or book. You’ll either order the water butt online for delivery, or book a visit from an installer.
- Fit it or have it fitted. Some schemes deliver a kit for you to fit, others send someone to install it.
Stocks are often limited and schemes may close when they’re gone, so it pays to act quickly when one opens.
Tip: Most schemes need an accessible downpipe on your house. If your only downpipe is round the front, behind a fence or on a neighbour’s wall, check before you apply so you don’t waste a slot.
Which water companies offer free or discounted water butts?
Schemes change regularly, so treat the list below as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Always check your own water company’s website for what’s on offer right now.
| Water company | What they have offered | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Severn Trent | Free water butts in eligible areas, installed for you | Postcode checker on its water butts page |
| Southern Water | A free water butt can be installed as part of a free water-saving home visit | Ask when you book a home visit |
| Yorkshire Water | Free water butts in specific target areas, such as Scarborough and Bridlington | Save water pages on its website |
| South East Water | Limited-time discounted water butts on its own website | Special offers on its website |
| Others (via Save Water Save Money or Get Water Fit) | Discounted water butts and free water saving devices | Enter your postcode on the partner website |
Severn Trent
Severn Trent’s water butt checker asks for your postcode to see whether you’re eligible for a free water butt. At the time of writing, the butt on offer is its “Slow the Flow” BUTT IN A BOX, which collects 200 litres of rainwater. Half is stored for you to use in the garden through a tap, and the other half slowly drains away through an outlet halfway up the side, so there’s always space to catch the next downpour. Installation is arranged for you once you’ve signed up. You can check eligibility on the Severn Trent website.
Southern Water
Southern Water offers free water-saving home visits, and says it can install a free water butt for your garden if you ask when you book.
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water has offered free water butts in particular target areas, including Scarborough and Bridlington. If you’re elsewhere in its region, check its save water pages for current offers.
South East Water
South East Water has run limited-time offers on discounted water butts, sold through its own website, with limited stock at the offer price.
Save Water Save Money and Get Water Fit
Many water companies work with Save Water Save Money, which runs a website where you can find discounted water butts and other water saving products. Its Get Water Fit tool, promoted by the Consumer Council for Water, asks a few questions about how you use water and points you towards free devices offered by your water company. You can find out more on the CCW Get Water Fit page.
Tip: Not sure who your water company is? It’s on your water bill. Remember that in some areas one company supplies your water and another handles your sewerage, so look for the one that supplies the water.
What do you actually get with a free water butt?
Free and discounted water butts tend to be straightforward, practical models rather than anything decorative. Expect:
- A plastic butt, often around 100 to 200 litres.
- A tap, sometimes fitted, sometimes in the box.
- A lid, which is important for child safety and keeping the water clean.
- Sometimes a diverter kit to connect it to your downpipe, sometimes not.
- Sometimes a stand, though many schemes leave that to you.
Check exactly what’s included before you order. If the kit doesn’t come with a diverter or a stand, you’ll need to buy those separately, and a stand makes a big difference to how easy it is to fill a watering can.
Is a scheme water butt big enough?
A 200 litre butt is a good size for most gardens, and a 100 litre one suits a small patio or shed. But a useful rule of thumb shows why many gardeners end up wanting more: 1 mm of rain falling on 1 m² of roof gives roughly 1 litre of water.
So a modest house roof that collects rain from 30 m² would fill a 200 litre butt with less than 7 mm of rain. In a wet spell, your butt could fill in a single afternoon and then overflow for weeks.
| Roof area draining to the downpipe | Rain needed to fill 100 litres | Rain needed to fill 200 litres |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m² (small shed) | 10 mm | 20 mm |
| 20 m² (garage or large shed) | 5 mm | 10 mm |
| 30 m² (part of a house roof) | about 3.5 mm | about 7 mm |
| 50 m² (larger house roof section) | 2 mm | 4 mm |
If that’s the case for you, linking a second butt is the easiest upgrade. Our guide to what size water butt you need goes into this in more detail.
Not eligible? Your best options
If your water company has nothing on offer, or the scheme has closed, you can still get set up without spending much.
- Check again later. Schemes come and go, and new offers and promotions can appear at any time of year.
- Look at a complete kit. Buying a butt, stand, tap and diverter together is usually simpler than piecing it together. Browse our water butt kits for complete sets.
- Go small first. A 100 litre butt is ideal for a shed, greenhouse or small patio, and there’s a good range of small water butts that don’t take up much room.
- Read reviews. Our round-up of the best water butts in the UK is a good place to start.
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Cloudburst/Garden Lake 200 Litre Water Butt Kit With Stand and Diverter
£79.99 -
200L Recycled Plastic Green Water Butt | Kit Includes Tap, Stand & Diverter | Cloudburst
£74.95 -
Harcostar 168 Litre Green Water Butt Kit With Stand and Diverter Kit
£79.99 -
Invopak 100L Recycled Plastic Mini Rainsaver Water Butt Kit Includes Tap, Stand & Diverter – Green
£51.25
Whichever route you take, check the latest price and reviews on Amazon before you buy, as prices for the same butt can vary a lot.
Fitting your water butt
Whether it’s free or bought, fitting a water butt is a simple job for most people. You’ll need to:
- Choose a downpipe near where you’ll use the water.
- Set the butt on a firm, level base or stand.
- Cut into the downpipe and fit a diverter, which sends water into the butt and lets it carry on to the drain once the butt is full.
- Connect the hose from the diverter to the butt.
Our step-by-step guide on how to fit a water butt walks you through the job, and our explainer on how a water butt diverter works covers which type suits your downpipe. If you get your water butt in the colder months, read our winter water butt care guide too.
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Mini Rainsaver 100 Litre Black Water Butt Kit
£54.99 -
Buttacup Mini Rainsaver 100 litre Water Butt Kit with Lid, Tap, Base and Rain Diverter Kit
£49.95 -
Whitefurze G29WB 100 Liter Capacity Complete Water Butt Kit w/ Stand Easy to fit Space saving, Diverter, Tap, T Piece & Hose for your lawn and garden – Green
£42.99 -
Made in the UK Garden Water Butt Kit, 100L Slimline Rain Tank with Stand and Filler Kit
£39.99
Water saving tips to help save water in the garden
A water butt is a great start, but these simple tips mean you use less water overall and your plants get more from every litre:
- Water in the early morning or evening, when less is lost to evaporation.
- Water the roots, not the leaves.
- Use a watering can rather than a hose where you can.
- Mulch beds to keep moisture in the soil.
- Group pots together so they shade each other.
- Ask your water company about free water saving products for indoors too, such as shower timers and leaky loo strips, which help you save money as well as water.
Free water butt FAQs
Can I get a free water butt from my water company?
Possibly. Some water companies give them away to customers in eligible areas, often checked by postcode, while others offer discounts or nothing at all. Check your water company’s website for current schemes.
Do I have to be on a water meter to get a free water butt?
It depends on the scheme. Eligibility rules vary between water companies and between offers, so read the details on your water company’s website before you order.
Does a free water butt come with a diverter?
Not always. Some schemes include a diverter kit or installation, others send just the butt and tap. Check what’s included before ordering.
How big is a free water butt?
They’re usually between 100 and 200 litres. Severn Trent’s current free butt, for example, collects 200 litres, with half stored for use in the garden.
What if there’s no scheme in my area?
Look for discounted butts through Save Water Save Money, keep an eye on your water company for future offers, or buy a complete kit so you have everything you need in one box.
