SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED

Active
Company number 02679874Private limited companyIncorporated 1992

Key figures

£455,458,000+57.9%
Net assets 2025/26
+37.0%
Average annual growth 2023/24–2025/26
0200 m400 m600 m2023/242024/252025/26

SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED files its accounts at Companies House on paper. The figures here are for the whole group, taken from its annual financial report in the structured ESEF format (published on the FCA National Storage Mechanism, collected by filings.xbrl.org).

Ratios

2025/26

Sector comparison

SIC 36000

Where the company stands among the 1,473 active companies whose first SIC code is 36000 (Water collection, treatment and supply).

Turnover£351,792,000
Higher than 88% · median £8,978,665 among 89 that publish turnover
Net assets£455,458,000
Higher than 99% · median £26,243
Total assets£2,151,334,000
Higher than 99% · median £113,578
Cash£18,756,000
Higher than 95% · median £61,564
Company age34.8 years
Older than 95% · median 9.1 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. GLAS CYMRU HOLDINGS CYFYNGEDIG£1.5bn
  2. GLAS CYMRU ANGHYFYNGEDIG£1.5bn
  3. DWR CYMRU CYFYNGEDIG£1.5bn
  4. YORKSHIRE WATER SERVICES LIMITED£1.4bn
  5. NORTHERN IRELAND WATER LIMITED£1.3bn
  6. SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED£1.1bn
  7. SOUTHERN WATER SERVICES LIMITED£871.4m
  8. WESSEX WATER SERVICES LIMITED£587.4m
  9. SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED£455.5m
  10. SUTTON AND EAST SURREY WATER PLC£138.9m

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 1,473. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED

What kind of company is it?

SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED is a private limited company registered with Companies House under company number 02679874. It was incorporated on 4 Feb 1992. Its status is active. The registered office is in Snodland (ME6). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is water collection, treatment and supply (36000).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025/26 (period ending 31 Mar 2026); the company files group accounts. Turnover was £351,792,000. Loss for the year was £33,074,000. Net assets were £455,458,000, up 57.9% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £18,756,000. Total assets were £2,151,334,000 and total liabilities £1,695,876,000. Figures are available for 3 financial years (2023/24–2025/26).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 1,473 active companies whose first SIC code is 36000: By turnover it ranks higher than 88% of the 89 that publish turnover (median £8,978,665). By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £26,243). By total assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £113,578). By cash it ranks higher than 95% of them (median £61,564). It is older than 95% of them (median age 9.1 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 4 public contract award notices from 4 public sector buyers since 2015. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £693.8k. It is recorded as the recipient of 6 central government grants worth £90.1k, from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

What do public registers and reports show?

It appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors (Skilled Worker). In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 41 days to pay suppliers, and 41% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2025/26 shows median hourly pay for women 20% lower than for men. It has modern slavery statements on the government registry for 5 years.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered. 2 of 2 registered charges are outstanding.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 31 Dec 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 26 Jun 2027.

Dividends

from the accounts
2023/24

Dividends paid in the financial year: £2,250,000.

Filed accounts2023/24–2025/26
2023/242024/252025/26
Turnover280,594,000285,517,000351,792,000
Profit for the year-28,043,000-13,541,000-33,074,000
Cash at bank and in hand4,986,00036,072,00018,756,000
Total assets1,918,330,0002,028,085,0002,151,334,000
Total liabilities1,675,550,0001,739,728,0001,695,876,000
Net assets / total equity242,780,000288,357,000455,458,000
Dividends paid2,250,000——

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Public contracts

4 contracts

SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED is named as a supplier in 4 public contract award notices from 4 public sector buyers since 2015. The 3 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £693.8k.

Contracts per year
Main buyers4
Ashford Borough Council
1 contract · £600k
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
1 contract · £60k
Ministry of Defence
1 contract · £33.8k
Wiltshire Council
1 contract
Contracts
  1. The provision of sampling and analysis services of private water suppliesBasingstoke & Deane Borough Council · £60,000 · runs until Apr 2027
  2. Analysis of Water Samples In Support of Fleet and UK Operations‡Ministry of Defence · £33,825
  3. Testing of Private Water Supplies‡Wiltshire Council
  4. Replacement of water mains services to dwellings‡Ashford Borough Council · £600,000

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Government grants

6 grants

SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED is recorded as the recipient of 6 central government grants since 2020, together worth £90.1k.

Grants
  1. GCA PROG DEL RPA COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIPDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £43,385
  2. GCA DEL RPA UK ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £6,912
  3. GCA DEL RPA UK ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £7,461
  4. GCA PROG DEL RPA COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIPDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £12,223
  5. Countryside Stewardship Transferred to DEFRA NSA P2Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £18,830 · Countryside Stewardship
Show 1 more
  1. M10 - Agri-environment- Climate ExchqDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · £1,329

From the Government Grants Register published by the Cabinet Office (financial years 2016/17 onwards, Open Government Licence v3.0). It covers grants from central government departments and their agencies where the register states the recipient's company number and the recipient name matches this company; grants from local authorities, lottery distributors and devolved governments are not included.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Apr 2026 – 30 Sep 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
41 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
41%
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 38%
  • 31 to 60 days 41%
  • After 60 days 21%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
31 Mar 2026
41
40%
63%
30 Sep 2025
41
37%
61%
31 Mar 2025
40
40%
66%
30 Sep 2024
42
33%
66%
30 Sep 2023
45
27%
70%
31 Mar 2023
40
37%
63%
30 Sep 2022
42
34%
63%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2025/26
Median hourly pay
women 20% lower
Mean hourly pay
women 18.2% lower
Median bonus pay
women 24.4% lower
Employer size
1000 to 4999 employees
Lower pay quarter63.2% womenLower middle39.7% womenUpper middle28.4% womenUpper pay quarter22.7% women
Earlier years (8)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2024/25
women 23.8% lower
women 21.1% lower
2023/24
women 24.7% lower
women 21.6% lower
2022/23
women 22.9% lower
women 22.6% lower
2021/22
women 23.3% lower
women 19.8% lower
2020/21
women 23.1% lower
women 22.5% lower
2019/20
women 23.3% lower
women 25.1% lower
2018/19
women 21% lower
women 23% lower
2017/18
women 25% lower
women 25% lower

A positive gap means women's average hourly pay is lower than men's across the whole employer; it is not a comparison of pay for the same work. View on the Gender pay gap service

Modern slavery statements5
2025
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2024
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2022
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
Earlier years (2)
2021
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2020
Statement · summary on GOV.UK

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

Sponsor licence‡
Licence type and rating
Worker (A rating)
Route
Skilled Worker

On the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers from overseas.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

5 events
  1. Financial year 2025/26 endedAccounts: turnover £351.8m, net assets £455.5m
  2. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £285.5m, net assets £288.4m
  3. Financial year 2023/24 endedAccounts: turnover £280.6m, net assets £242.8m
  4. South East Water (Holdings) Limited registered as a person with significant control
  5. Company incorporatedPrivate limited company

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database. Former persons with significant control are not listed.