How fast companies in the East of England pay their suppliers
445 large companies and LLPs with a registered office in the East of England have filed a payment practices report for a period ending since May 2025. The typical one takes 33 days to pay an invoice, 2 days longer than the UK figure of 31 days.
33 daysTypical average time to pay (median)
58%Typical share of invoices paid within 30 days
29Companies averaging more than 60 days
85Construction reporters with retention clauses
Each company's latest report, for periods ending between 31 May 2025 and 31 October 2026. Location is the registered office on the Companies House register, which is not always where a company trades.
Council areas
| Council area | Companies | Typical days to pay | Typical % paid within 30 days | Averaging over 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Hertfordshire | 12 | 50 | 36.5% | 3 |
| Basildon | 8 | 47 | 29% | 2 |
| Chelmsford | 7 | 46 | 25% | 1 |
| West Suffolk | 19 | 41 | 34% | 0 |
| Hertsmere | 21 | 39 | 45% | 2 |
| Norwich | 21 | 39 | 46% | 6 |
| South Cambridgeshire | 31 | 38 | 51% | 1 |
| Thurrock | 5 | 38 | 60% | 0 |
| Uttlesford | 6 | 36.5 | 50% | 1 |
| East Suffolk | 5 | 36 | 37% | 0 |
| Mid Suffolk | 9 | 35 | 58% | 1 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 21 | 35 | 64% | 0 |
| Brentwood | 7 | 34 | 38% | 0 |
| Broadland | 6 | 34 | 47% | 0 |
| Cambridge | 11 | 33 | 60% | 0 |
| Ipswich | 14 | 32.5 | 61.5% | 0 |
| Luton | 23 | 32 | 63% | 2 |
| South Norfolk | 8 | 32 | 63% | 0 |
| St Albans | 9 | 32 | 65% | 2 |
| Colchester | 7 | 31 | 51% | 0 |
| Tendring | 5 | 31 | 56% | 0 |
| Watford | 15 | 31 | 71% | 1 |
| Huntingdonshire | 12 | 30.5 | 56.5% | 0 |
| Peterborough | 22 | 30 | 60.5% | 2 |
| Dacorum | 20 | 29.5 | 66.5% | 1 |
| Harlow | 8 | 29.5 | 61.5% | 0 |
| Bedford | 9 | 29 | 77% | 1 |
| Broxbourne | 10 | 28.5 | 70% | 0 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 16 | 27.5 | 85% | 0 |
| Three Rivers | 19 | 27 | 72% | 1 |
| Stevenage | 21 | 23 | 77% | 1 |
Council areas with at least 5 companies filing, slowest typical payer first.
The 50 slowest payers registered in the East of England
| # | Company | Period ending | Average days to pay | Paid within 30 days | Not paid within terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norse Care (Services) Limited * | 31 Mar 2026 | 143 | 47% | 79% |
| 2 | BFSL Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 112 | 0% | 100% |
| 3 | Stapleton's (Tyre Services) Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 95 | 7% | 21% |
| 4 | FDS Corporation Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 89 | 81% | 10% |
| 5 | Britvic Soft Drinks Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 82 | 10% | 11% |
| 6 | Renewable Energy Systems Limited | 30 Apr 2026 | 82 | 19% | 87% |
| 7 | Valeo Confectionery Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 78 | 5% | 62% |
| 8 | Premier Foods Group Limited | 26 Sep 2026 | 74 | 4% | 13% |
| 9 | Formula One Auto Centres Limited | 31 Jul 2026 | 73 | 41% | 0% |
| 10 | Johnson Matthey PLC | 30 Sep 2026 | 73 | 10% | 57% |
| 11 | Ball Beverage Packaging Europe Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 72 | 25% | 6% |
| 12 | Norse Commercial Services Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 71 | 25% | 76% |
| 13 | Ball Beverage Packaging UK Ltd | 30 Jun 2026 | 70 | 20% | 6% |
| 14 | Charles Wilson Engineers Limited | 30 Apr 2026 | 70 | 9% | 8% |
| 15 | Ark Mechanical and Electrical Services Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 68 | 9% | 25% |
| 16 | Kettle Foods Ltd. | 30 Sep 2026 | 68 | 6% | 83% |
| 17 | CMR Surgical Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 67 | 29% | 75% |
| 18 | Perkins Engines Company Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 67 | 2% | 6% |
| 19 | Multimatic Ltd. | 30 Jun 2026 | 66 | 18% | 54% |
| 20 | Weston Homes PLC | 31 Jul 2026 | 66 | 17% | 74% |
| 21 | Action for Children | 31 Mar 2026 | 65 | 73% | 80% |
| 22 | Belron UK Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 65 | 77% | 82% |
| 23 | Johnson Matthey Hydrogen Technologies Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 65 | 21% | 45% |
| 24 | Mcmullen Facades Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 65 | 22% | 34% |
| 25 | Norse Eastern Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 65 | 27% | 73% |
| 26 | Bew Electrical Distributors Limited | 30 Apr 2026 | 64 | 5% | 5% |
| 27 | Wernick Hire Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 64 | 6% | 0% |
| 28 | Bespak Europe Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 63 | 11% | 59% |
| 29 | Ford Technologies Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 61 | 1% | 5% |
| 30 | Cummins Generator Technologies Limited | 31 Jul 2026 | 60 | 19% | 39% |
| 31 | Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd | 31 Dec 2025 | 60 | 66% | 10% |
| 32 | JRL Plant and Logistics Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 60 | 17% | 46% |
| 33 | London Tower Crane Hire & Sales Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 60 | 28% | 26% |
| 34 | Lloyds Clinical Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 59 | 10% | 71% |
| 35 | Midgard City Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 59 | 29% | 33% |
| 36 | Midgard Ltd | 30 Sep 2026 | 59 | 19% | 31% |
| 37 | Tesco Distribution Limited | 30 Aug 2026 | 59 | 10% | 1% |
| 38 | Tesco Maintenance Limited | 30 Aug 2026 | 59 | 4% | 3% |
| 39 | TJX UK | 1 Aug 2026 | 58 | 23% | 8% |
| 40 | Utac UK Ltd | 30 Jun 2025 | 58 | 20% | 64% |
| 41 | Videndum PLC | 30 Jun 2026 | 58 | 20% | 11% |
| 42 | Videndum Production Solutions Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 58 | 20% | 11% |
| 43 | Bisl Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 57 | 38% | 59% |
| 44 | Marlborough Highways Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 57 | 18% | 10% |
| 45 | Precon Products Ltd | 30 Jun 2026 | 57 | 16% | 59% |
| 46 | Synthomer (UK) Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 57 | 18% | 49% |
| 47 | Ford Motor Company Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 56 | 4% | 7% |
| 48 | PPG Industries (UK) Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 56 | 46% | 24% |
| 49 | Smiths Metal Centres Limited | 30 Jun 2026 | 56 | 16% | 2% |
| 50 | Thames Reinforcements Limited | 30 Sep 2026 | 56 | 25% | 27% |
* Figures look inconsistent with the company's earlier filings, for example an average more than double its previous report, so may contain a filing error. Shown as filed.
Download all 445 companies as a CSV.
Smaller areas
Council areas with fewer than 5 companies filing. Their companies are in the regional figures above.
- BaberghPenrose Learning Trust, Marriott Motor Group Limited
- BraintreeBlackwell Earthmoving Limited, Simarco International Limited, Tamdown Group Limited, Perry Ellis Europe Limited
- BrecklandFalcon Tower Crane Services Ltd, Baxter Healthcare Limited, TP Fire & Security Ltd, Unity Education Trust
- Castle PointRunwood Homes Limited, Sanders Senior Living Limited, South East Essex Academy Trust
- East CambridgeshireTurners (Soham) Limited, The Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust, Anglian Learning, Juddmonte Farms Limited
- East HertfordshireMcmullen & Sons, Limited
- Epping ForestHill Partnerships Limited, Higgins Partnerships 1961 PLC, Dermal Laboratories Limited, Hill Residential Limited
- FenlandH.L. Hutchinson Limited, The Active Learning Trust Limited
- Great YarmouthShaw Pipeline Services UK Limited
- King's Lynn and West NorfolkBespak Europe Limited, Afe Group Limited, Porvair Filtration Group Limited, West Norfolk Academies Trust
- MaldonErnest Doe & Sons Limited, Woodland Global Ltd, Brooks Bros. (UK) Limited
- North NorfolkJack Richards & Son Limited, Kinnerton (Confectionery) Co. Limited, Gresham's School
- RochfordIpeco Holdings Limited
- Southend-on-SeaKeymed (Medical & Industrial Equipment) Limited, Legra Academy Trust
125 companies here reported construction contracts and 85 said they hold back retention money, typically at 5%. All retention clauses.
Source: payment practices reports published by the Department for Business and Trade on Check payment practices, Open Government Licence v3.0. Registered office from Companies House. Free to use with credit to Fair Payment and a link to this page. Notes for journalists.