Our charges

Changes for 2022-23

We are committed to continually improving our processes to help minimise our charges as much as possible.

This year we have kept our annual review of charges to a minimum while we carry out our Strategic Review of Charging (SRoC). A consultation on the Strategic Review of Charging is now open and will run until 7 January 2023.

We are therefore only making the following minor but necessary changes to existing charging schemes:

  • Abstraction Standard Unit Charge (SUC) increase of +2.8%.
  • UK Emission Trading Scheme (UK-ETS) increase of +21% which is equivalent to the temporary transitional support provided in the first year as we left the European Union scheme.
  • Environmental Permitting Regulations Water Quality charges increase equivalent to inflation (CPI).

Current charging schemes

Our charging schemes for 2022-23 will be in place from 1 April 2022 until they are superseded by the new schemes introduced as part of our Strategic Review of Charging (SRoC) programme. If you have any queries about that review or want to be involved when the time comes, then please email us at SROC@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Existing schemes cover the many different activities that we regulate under various pieces of legislation. Our charges are reviewed regularly, and we consult with charge payers and Welsh Government before making changes.

Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) charges

The Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) charging scheme 2022-23 and Guide 2022-23 covers the different types of operations that require a permit or consent under the EPR including:

It also includes information about charges for:

  • waste carriers, brokers and dealers
  • exempt waste operations
  • producer responsibility
  • international waste shipments

Abstraction charges

Charges for abstraction licences are set to cover the costs we incur in ensuring water resources are managed sustainably.

Information about abstraction charges is available on our water abstraction charges scheme page. This includes details on how the components of charges work including the Standard Unit Charge (SUC) and Environmental Improvement Unit Charges (EIUC). More information about water abstraction permits is available on the water abstraction and impoundment licences page.

We are increasing the Standard Unit Charge (SUC) by +2.8% in 2022/23 as part of a longer term planned increases to recover the cost of significant capital maintenance programme.  

Control of major accident hazards (COMAH) charges

COMAH charges cover our regulatory role as part of the Competent Authority tasked with controlling Major Accident Hazards.  Natural Resources Wales, along with the Health and Safety Executive and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, form the COMAH Competent Authority in Wales.  We ensure that duty holders take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences for human health and the environment.

We raise charges to recover our costs incurred in carrying out the functions of the COMAH 2015 Regulations based on a time and materials approach.  We raise invoices within 30 days of 31 March and 30 September each year. Our charge out rate is £152 per inspector hour unless otherwise stated.

The fees payable by operators to the Competent Authority are laid out in Regulation 28 of the COMAH 2015 Regulations.  This means that the COMAH Competent Authority may charge for the discharge of any function conferred by the COMAH 2015 Regulations with the exception of:

  1. any criminal investigation or prosecution incurred, in either case, from the date any summons is obtained from a Magistrates Court;
  2. functions of the competent authority related to preparation of External Emergency Plans under Regulation 13.

UK Emissions Trading System (UK ETS) charges

The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) replaced the UK's participation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) from 01 January 2021.

Natural Resources Wales developed a charging scheme for UK ETS which we consulted on early in 2021 and implemented from 1st July 2021. Further information can be found on our UK Emissions Trading Scheme page.

We are increasing the charges within the UK ETS scheme by +21% for 2022-23 which makes up for the removal of a time limited financial discount for the transitional period.

Reservoir Safety

The Reservoirs Act 1975 seeks to protect people, property, and infrastructure by reducing the risk of flooding caused by dam or reservoir failure. It is our duty to ensure owners and operators of large, raised reservoirs manage them appropriately.

We recover a portion of our costs through initial registration fees, this includes the cost of determining the level of risk attributable to the reservoir. The additional work we do to monitor high risk reservoirs is recovered through annual charges on the owners or operators of reservoirs. More information is available on our Reservoir safety page.

Nuclear Regulation in Wales

The Environment Agency carries out some nuclear regulation work at sites in Wales on behalf of NRW. The charges are part of NRW fees and charges however they are impacted on by the EA charging scheme. The EA consult separately on their fees and charges.

Charging for information

If you would like to request information you can find out more about the information we provide for free and what we charge for.

Charging for Advice

We can provide basic or bespoke advice and may charge for our time to provide it.

We provide a limited amount of basic pre-application advice to help customers understand what they need to do to comply and how to apply for relevant permits. Further information is available on our Pre-application advice for Environmental Permits page or the pre-application advice service for water abstraction and impoundment licences page.

More detailed bespoke chargeable advice is available on request through our Discretionary Advice Service. Bespoke advice is charged at an hourly rate of £125 plus VAT. 

Fisheries

Find out more about our charges for;

Electronic payments

If you want to pay for your permit or licence application by electronic transfer, please use the information below to make your payment.

Company name:           Natural Resources Wales          
Company address:       Income Department, PO BOX 663, Cardiff, CF24 0TP    
Bank:                              RBS    
Address:                         National Westminster Bank Plc, 2 ½ Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4BA
Sort code:                      60-70-80          
Account number:          10014438

Details given in your permit/ licence application forms may have changed since it was issued. We will update our forms as soon as possible, but please use the information below when making electronic payments from now on.

Making payments from outside the UK

These details have changed. If you are making your payment from outside the United Kingdom (which must be received in sterling), our IBAN number is GB70 NWBK6070 8010 014438 and our SWIFT/BIC number is NWBKGB2L.

Send us your payment details/Remittance Advice by email

Please email your payment details and payment type details (such as ‘Waste Variation’ or ‘Water Quality New’) to Online@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk or Online@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

You must include your company name and invoice number/reference. Where possible, please also submit a remittance advice. This will ensure accurate processing of your payment.

You should still include the BACS payment reference on the application form itself.
If you do not quote your payment reference number, there may be a delay in processing your payment and application.

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