Last Updated on October 1, 2026
A plumber’s bank bill is set by two things the headline price ignores: how many customers pay by transfer, and how much cash comes back in the van.
We priced a standard year at 15 UK business accounts on 1 October 2026 for a one-van plumbing company with 30 jobs paid a month and £800 in cash. For our model one-van plumbing business, a standard year of banking cost £48 at Monzo Business Lite and £519 at NatWest Standard Tariff.
The accounts that suit plumbers
- Monzo Business Lite, £48 a year. £1 per cash deposit at any PayPoint or Post Office, no transfer fees.
- Virgin Money M Account, £86.40 a year. No monthly fee, free electronic payments and a branch. For turnover under £1m.
- Mettle (NatWest), £132 a year. No transfer fees and £2.75 per cash deposit. Comes with FreeAgent if you make a transaction a month.
The order changes with cash. Every £100 of cash a month adds about £7.20 a year at Barclays and £18 at HSBC UK, against nothing extra at Monzo or Mettle, which charge per deposit not per pound.
The model month
| Each month | One-van plumber (limited company) |
|---|---|
| Payments received | 30 (£8,000 in total) |
| Transfers sent | 15 |
| Direct Debits | 6 |
| Debit card purchases | 40 |
| Cash paid in | £800, in 4 deposits of £200 |
What a standard year cost a one-van plumbing business
| Account | Standard year | What drives the bill |
|---|---|---|
| Monzo Business Lite | £48 | £1 per cash deposit; Team plan £25 a month if staff need access |
| Virgin Money M Account | £86.40 | Cash 90p per £100; turnover under £1m |
| Mettle (NatWest) | £132 | £2.75 per cash deposit; one owner can access |
| Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account | £144 | Cash £1.50 per £100 |
| HSBC UK Small Business Banking | £144 | Post Office cash 1.5% (tariff from 14 December 2026) |
| Starling | £144 | Cash 0.7%, minimum £3, Post Office only; £100,000 a year business cash limit |
| Barclays Business Current Account | £159.60 | £8.50 a month after 12 free months; cash 60p per £100 |
| Tide Free | £230.40 | 20p per transfer in or out after 5 a month |
| Santander Business Classic | £239.88 | £9.99 a month after 12 free months; counter cash £1.25 per £100 |
| Lloyds Business Account | £273.60 | £10 a month after 12 free months; counter cash £1.60 per £100 |
| Tide Smart | £320.28 | £12.49 a month, 30 transfers included |
| NatWest Standard Tariff | £519 | 35p per electronic item and card payment; cash 95p per £100 plus 95p a deposit |
Left out for this trade, and why:
| Account | Why it is not in the table |
|---|---|
| Revolut Business Basic | Takes no cash |
| Countingup | Cash fee not published |
| ANNA Free | Cash fee not on its pricing page |
What matters for plumbers beyond the fee
Cash from customers
Starling also lists “businesses that regularly make significant cash deposits” among those it does not take, and caps business cash at £5,000 a day and £100,000 a year. Most domestic jobs are now paid by transfer or card, but cash still turns up. A per-deposit fee (Monzo £1, Mettle £2.75) favours paying in once a week. A percentage fee (HSBC 1.5%, Starling 0.7% with a £3 minimum) grows with every note.
Getting paid on the doorstep
A card reader or a payment link means less cash to carry to the Post Office. Compare the card fee with your bank’s cash fee: see payment processors compared.
Gas Safe and the bank
Customers can check your Gas Safe registration on the public register. Keep the trading name on your account the same as the one on the Gas Safe Register and Companies House, so a payment, an invoice and a register check all match.
Before you open
- If customers pay you cash, count a month of deposits and price them at each bank.
- Ask whether the bank feed connects to your job management or accounting software.
- Price your own month: count a month of payments in, payments out, Direct Debits and cash, then use the fees on our best business bank accounts UK page.
- Check protection: who holds the money and whether it shares an FSCS limit. See FSCS protection on business accounts.
More for plumbers: the plumber hub and plumber software and tools. Every trade we priced: business banking by trade.
For a van trade with a little cash, an app bank with a flat cash fee beat every high street tariff in our model. Count your deposits before you choose.
Questions
What is the best business bank account for plumbers?
In our model of a one-van plumbing business, priced from published fees on 1 October 2026, the cheapest standard year was Monzo Business Lite at £48, then Virgin Money M Account at £86.40 and Mettle (NatWest) at £132. The cheapest high street bank was Virgin Money M Account at £86.40. Your own mix of payments and cash decides the answer.
Do plumbers need a business bank account?
A limited company must keep its money separate from personal banking, and gov.uk says the simplest way is a business bank account. For sole traders, a separate account makes records and Self Assessment simpler.
