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Average water rates>?

Phonix
Phonix Posts: 837
First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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I'm not used to living on my own but there will come a point when I'll probably have my own flat. I was shocked to see how much people pay for water in this country. I see for some it costs about £30 a month.

Say I were to live in a taxband a flat. Now I know the average rate is regionally dependent. however what's the average cost on this sort of property likely to be?

So my questions are.

Average water rates/annum nationwide on,

Band A?
Band B?


Cheapest place for water?

I though council tax is expensive, I didn't expect water rates would come to almost half as much as council tax.
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Comments

  • Robert5988
    Robert5988 Posts: 181 Forumite
    Water is charged by several methods and it is not possible to answer your question without knowing more about your intended flat. There are 2 main schemes(and lots of exceptions)

    Modern properties from 1989 on normally have metered water and costs obviously depend on your useage. There are also standing charges and for sewage and drainage(if applicable)

    Older properties can have their charges based on their old Rateable Value(RV) which are no longer in use for rates/council tax. Band A to H have no affect on water charges.

    In general you are better off being metered. The exception is if you live in a property with a very low RV and use a lot of water – although you should pay extra for hosepipe outlets.

    I would think in a smallish flat with metered water for 1/2 occupants charges would be in the region of £12-15 a month.
    Robert
  • funkymonkey
    funkymonkey Posts: 524
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    i live in a one bedroom house with my partner and we are on the old RV system even though the property was built in the 80's. our RV is 125 it basically means we pay 95 punds a year (9.50 over 10 months DD)
    #113 12K in 2020 Challenge #113 £17,103/£12,000 £15000
  • Robert5988
    Robert5988 Posts: 181 Forumite
    i live in a one bedroom house with my partner and we are on the old RV system even though the property was built in the 80's. our RV is 125 it basically means we pay 95 punds a year (9.50 over 10 months DD)
    In the area I live in(Severn Trent) The cost for each £1 of Rateable Value(RV) is:

    85.75p for water, 49.12p for used water, 26.17p for surface water drainage.

    So for a RV of £125 you would pay:

    £107 if your sewage went into a septic tank

    £168 if you had a normal sewer

    £201 if everthing went into the sewer.

    Presumably you have a septic tank?
    Robert
  • carol_a_3
    carol_a_3 Posts: 1,104 Forumite
    I've just had my water bill for the year ahead and it's £585!! Payable over 10 monthly direct debits that's nearly £60 a month. There's just me and my two teenage children with the third child home part time when she's not at university. I looked on a "comparison" web site last year and typed in how many showers, loo flushes, washing machine loads etc I have (no dishwasher and don't use a hosepipe) to see if I'd be better off with a meter...it said I would be worse off! I think it's extortionate, we're obviously paying for them to keep the beaches clean (Cornwall) but I think it should be a national rate. If I do try a meter and find it's more expensive I don't know if I could get it removed afterwards. Any advice??
  • krazyk
    krazyk Posts: 265 Forumite
    Mine water came in a week or so ago and was £111 over 6 months, so no way near as high as yours. It's just me living in a little house.

    I checked if I would be better off metered and it said I wouldn't, though I am looking at moving into a property that was built in the 1990's. I take it this will be metered then??

    K
  • Noozan
    Noozan Posts: 1,058
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    carol_a wrote:
    If I do try a meter and find it's more expensive I don't know if I could get it removed afterwards. Any advice??

    Hi Carol, my parents also live in Cornwall and on a rates, they currently pay £42 a month. It's only the two of them in a 3 bed house now that all us kids have flown the nest. I have recently arranged with SWW to get a water meter installed. If you are on rates, you can ask for a meter and if you find the bills are higher when metered, you have 12 months from the date of installation to ask to revert back. Hope this helps.
    I have the mind of a criminal genius. I keep it in the freezer next to Mother....
  • Phonix
    Phonix Posts: 837
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I've just had my water bill for the year ahead and it's £585!! Payable over 10 monthly direct debits that's nearly £60 a month. There's just me and my two teenage children with the third child home part time when she's not at university. I looked on a "comparison" web site last year and typed in how many showers, loo flushes, washing machine loads etc I have (no dishwasher and don't use a hosepipe) to see if I'd be better off with a meter...it said I would be worse off! I think it's extortionate, we're obviously paying for them to keep the beaches clean (Cornwall) but I think it should be a national rate. If I do try a meter and find it's more expensive I don't know if I could get it removed afterwards. Any advice??

    Frankly I find it criminal that you're charged that much for such a basic essensial service.
  • carol_a_3
    carol_a_3 Posts: 1,104 Forumite
    I think it's criminal too, especially as I find their water disgusting and have to use a jug filter, the tap water always tastes like a swimming pool to me.

    Thank you Noozan for the advice, I wasn't sure if having a meter was a reversible descision but, if it is, I think I will seriously consider it. Where abouts are your parents? I'm in Falmouth.
  • Norma_Desmond
    Norma_Desmond Posts: 4,417 Forumite
    God Carol - that's surely too much! There's just me and my husband but we live in a large 4 bed. 2 bathroom house and our water bill is around £25 per month!
    "I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille...."
  • carol_a_3
    carol_a_3 Posts: 1,104 Forumite
    I've only got a 3 bed semi, one bathroom, we always take showers, never baths but South west water are the most expensive in the country I think, we paid £500 last year too. They always say that the money is for cleaning up the raw sewage outlets into the sea etc but Cornwall isn't the only place in Britain that has beaches!!
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