1. Home
  2. Regulation
  3. Charging information

Back to Charging information

  • Frequently asked questions

Charging schemes frequently asked questions

Table of contents
Select a section to jump to:
Select a section to jump to:

Last updated 21 May 2026

How do I pay my invoice?

We can take payments by: 

In all cases the invoice number, customer account number, and/or permit number must be referenced so that we can ensure your payment is matched to your account correctly.

To arrange a payment plan please read ‘Spreading the cost’ response below then contact SEPA at invoices@sepa.org.uk

What is best way to contact SEPA if I have any questions?

The best way to contact us is by email. We have identified the best email to use under each question so that you get the quickest response. We will, if requested in your email, call you back. Please note due to the volume of annual invoices we issue at this time we will experience a high level of enquiries.  Please be patient while we work through these.

Why are the activities on my invoice different from last year?

From 1 November 2025, water, waste, and industrial activities are now regulated under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR).

EASR replaces seven different regulations. These are:

  1. The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR)
  2. Pollution Prevention & Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (PPC)
  3. The Waste Management Licencing (Scotland) Regulations 2011
  4. Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizures of Vehicles) Regulations 1991
  5. Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989
  6. End-of-Life Vehicles (Storage and Treatment) (Scotland) Regulations 2003
  7. Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003

Some activities that were authorised and regulated under any of the regulations listed above have changed with the move to EASR, the invoice details the new activity descriptions. 

Where can I find information about changes under EASR?

SEPA carried out public consultation on proposed Types of Authorisation in January 2024, and Changes to the Charging Scheme in August 2024. You can read more about what the changes mean for you and the activities we regulate on SEPA’s website.

Why have I received an invoice?

As part of our statutory duty SEPA raises invoices to recover the costs it incurs regulating, monitoring, and reporting the environmental impact of operators' activities. These costs are referred to as subsistence costs, and we are required to recover these costs from authorisation holders. This invoice is for annual subsistence charges related to your authorisation.

Spreading the cost of the invoice, who do I contact?

If you would like to pay your invoice by instalments using a monthly standing order, please email invoices@sepa.org.uk to arrange a Payment Plan. These are usually agreed to pay the invoice over a period of 9 months from the invoice date.

You must have prior agreement from SEPA for payment by standing order.

Standing orders should be set up to the bank account details provided on your invoice and must include the invoice number or customer account number as reference.

Why have my charges changed from last year?

We have applied an inflationary increase of 4.5% to the 2025/26* charges to arrive at the 2026/27 charges. This increase is included in both the regulatory and environmental component of the charge. Your charges may also be impacted by applications for temporary cessation, or if you only started operations part way through a year. If you have a query, please contact charging@sepa.org.uk.

*For EASR activities the 2025/26 charges are as stated in the EASR charging scheme that took effect on 1 November 2025.

Which site does it relate to?

Your invoice should contain the site detail. This is in the ‘Your reference’ section on the invoice. Please contact SEPA at charging@sepa.org.uk if the description does not have enough detail to clearly identify the site, or if this information is incorrect.

No one told me about SEPA charges when I bought the site/farm/premises, and the previous owner is no longer here. Why do I need to pay charges?

It is the purchaser’s responsibility to check for any authorisation(s) that are held or should be held. Non-payment of charges may mean you are operating illegally. Information on how to transfer an existing authorisation is available on the SEPA website.

I am not carrying out the activity so why do I need to pay charges?

If you have stopped the authorised activity and do not intend to undertake the activity in future, information on how to surrender an existing authorisation is available on the SEPA website. Charges will cease from the date the surrender process is completed. If you need to discuss your surrender, please contact the relevant Permitting team:

How do I make a change to the activities I have been billed for?

If you have changed the authorised activity, you have been billed for, you should apply to vary your authorisation. Information on how to vary an existing authorisation is available on the SEPA website. Charges may change from the date the variation process is completed. 

My licence has been surrendered or revoked. Why do I still need to pay?

If you have applied for a surrender or the authorisation has been revoked and you have still received an invoice, please contact registry@sepa.org.uk to ensure that the surrender application or revocation has been received and processed through our systems. 

I was expecting to be notified in advance of invoicing so I could apply for temporary cessation or reduction of charges

Applications for temporary cessation should have been made already. The criteria can be found under section 8 of the Charging Scheme Guidance. If you have any queries on this area, then they should be sent to charging@sepa.org.uk. 

Why have I received an invoice when I have applied for a mothballed/fallow (non-operational) exemption?

If you have applied for a mothballed/fallow exemption, you will have received an invoice for 15% of the annual activity charge for the agreed period. If the reduction is not shown, then please contact charging@sepa.org.uk.

The criteria can be found under section 8 of the Charging Scheme Guidance and the information on how to apply for a fee waiver is available on our website.

*A seasonal licence is where the permit restricts which months that the activity is permitted. For example, many irrigation authorisations only allow to abstractions from April through to October.

I require a purchase order for this invoice, who do I contact?

The invoice is described as a statutory debt, this is any debt, other than debts relating to taxes that may be owed to a statutory body such as a government department, local authority, or court. We are issuing the invoice for this type of debt. We are NOT providing a service, we are undertaking our statutory duties and recovering our costs therefore no purchase order is required. 

The information on my invoice is incorrect, who do I contact?

If you have applied for a change (within the last few months) this may not have been reflected in this invoice. We will be running an update so you may get a corrected invoice in the next few weeks reflecting any changes.

However, if you want to check, or you think that any of the information on the invoice is incorrect, in the first instance please contact SEPA at invoices@sepa.org.uk. They will record the issue and pass on to the appropriate SEPA contact.

What happens for non-payment of an invoice?

If an invoice is not paid within 30 days of the invoice date, or a payment plan has not been agreed by the payment date, you may be charged a late payment fee of £50. To arrange a payment plan please contact SEPA at invoices@sepa.org.uk.

Where can I find out more information on Charging Schemes?

View our charging information pages for details of how we interpret and apply charges.