First-time house renovation

suisidevw

Congrats LC, that's epic news! Is there a name?

Spirit, any pics of kitchen?

TM, glad to hear they changed the caps, let us know the outcome for the staining?!

Gosh Stolt, that's serious wonga! Maybe try and speak to someone else? Have you asked on the 'Utilities' forum on this website? Have you had a bill yet for your actual water usage?!

andrew-b

ouch stolt just for sewerage!! We aren't on a meter and only pay £85 water supply, £160 wastewater, £22 surface water drainage, £8 highway drainage per yer (Rateable value = £153..so not on a meter for you would be higher i expect).
Though to legally be watering your garden via irrigation system you have to be on a meter.
The way they work out wastewater charges is as a percentage of water used. I'm not sure offhand what the percentage is (expect it is defined somewhere but can't see it on my water company's website) but it takes into account using water on the garden. I expect your using far more water than that though.

I think if your going to keep using the irrigation system it would be an idea to unofficially meter the water you use in the garden yourself so you can at least keep tabs on what your spending. Also get a timer and a rain probe (so it doesn't come on when raining) so you can control the irrigation system better..easy to forget how long it's been on i guess! It's best to only water early morning and early evening too else your losing alot to evaporation. With the mulch of bark down the flowerbeds will probably retain water much longer anyway so maybe your watering much more than you need to already.

Not sure how much a water meter will cost you to buy/install but i suspect it's much less than that bill! I'd also look at how you can harvest rainwater to use on the garden and also reduce your water bill indoors - like not leaving tap running when cleaning teeth, dual flush toilets etc. Perhaps dig a big hole under the lawn and stick a whacking great big water tank in and hook it upto the downpipes. Wonder if there is any way you could harvest the water falling on the artificial turf - would probably mean relaying it all though.

Still no wonder the ducks liked your garden!!

stolt

suisidevw wrote: »

Gosh Stolt, that's serious wonga! Maybe try and speak to someone else? Have you asked on the 'Utilities' forum on this website? Have you had a bill yet for your actual water usage?!

no i havent but i will psot on there, perhaps there is some loophole where if it hasnt gone down the drains i dont have to pay as if it has if you know what i mean. The actual water usage was about £140.00 but i cant remember if that was for a year, the cubic measurement was the same, havent got the bills on me today but i will check this tonight if its for the same period. otherwise i wont be waterign the garden next year and i 'm going to go for a sand garden type theme....hopefully now the garden will be year old it will have aged and settled a bit so wont need to water it as much!

andrew-b

Ok this is from my supplier..southern water:

The volume charge for the sewerage service is based on 92.5% of the volume of water supplied.

This is to reflect the fact that not all the water you use returns to the sewer. 92.5% is an assessment of the typical percentage return, but this will vary for all customers.
If you are able to provide evidence that much less than 92.5% of the water supplied regularly returns to the sewer, you may apply for an adjustment to your sewerage volume charges.
If we do agree to an adjustment, it will take effect from the date of your last account before we received your application. After this, you must tell us straight away if there is any change in your circumstances that may affect the adjustment we have agreed. Where there has been such a change in circumstances, any further adjustment to your sewerage volume charges will be made from the date of that change.

So it seems if you can prove 92.5% of water supplied isn't going down the sewer you could get an adjustment. Maybe worth checking with Ofwat (the water regulator..i haven't looked). What company are providing the sewerage services?

stolt

andrew-b wrote: »

ouch stolt just for sewerage!! We aren't on a meter and only pay £85 water supply, £160 wastewater, £22 surface water drainage, £8 highway drainage per yer (Rateable value = £153..so not on a meter for you would be higher i expect).
Though to legally be watering your garden via irrigation system you have to be on a meter.
The way they work out wastewater charges is as a percentage of water used. I'm not sure offhand what the percentage is (expect it is defined somewhere but can't see it on my water company's website) but it takes into account using water on the garden. I expect your using far more water than that though.

I think if your going to keep using the irrigation system it would be an idea to unofficially meter the water you use in the garden yourself so you can at least keep tabs on what your spending. Also get a timer and a rain probe (so it doesn't come on when raining) so you can control the irrigation system better..easy to forget how long it's been on i guess! It's best to only water early morning and early evening too else your losing alot to evaporation. With the mulch of bark down the flowerbeds will probably retain water much longer anyway so maybe your watering much more than you need to already.

Not sure how much a water meter will cost you to buy/install but i suspect it's much less than that bill! I'd also look at how you can harvest rainwater to use on the garden and also reduce your water bill indoors - like not leaving tap running when cleaning teeth, dual flush toilets etc. Perhaps dig a big hole under the lawn and stick a whacking great big water tank in and hook it upto the downpipes. Wonder if there is any way you could harvest the water falling on the artificial turf - would probably mean relaying it all though.

Still no wonder the ducks liked your garden!!

yeah fell off my chair when i read it, and then assumed i alreayd had a direct debit set up (something i must have forgot to do when we moved house) although i had one set up for the water usage! i will look at them tonight although i just never though it woul dbe that expensive, i reckon i did leave the water on for too long though as it was only in the latter part of the year when it rained a bit that i stopped the watering and they seem to grow much larger. better equipped next year, but a water meter would eb a good idea, and i could monitor how much is used in say an hour and i would know exactly where i am with the costs. Like mobile phone use, i dont mind it as long as i know its coming, just when it turns up out the blue, been a hard month this month as were trying to get the kitchen finished, cars need MOT's, car insurance, car tax, house insurance!!! all happens at once and i guess i should really budget properly to account for this.

stolt

andrew-b wrote: »

Ok this is from my supplier..southern water:
So it seems if you can prove 92.5% of water supplied isn't going down the sewer you could get an adjustment. Maybe worth checking with Ofwat (the water regulator..i haven't looked). What company are providing the sewerage services?

thanks for sourcing that! sounds interesting to know, i think i read about something somewhere about surface water not going into the road drains and you could prove this it meant you didnt have the surface drainage!! Essex and suffolk charge me for the sewerage... wish i had the bills on me to check. mgiht run down to the car as hopefully i've left them in there.

Actually before i open my mouth and tell them i've been using a watering system i better make sure there wasnt a water/hosepipe ban in place. there probably end up doubling it!!

andrew-b

I'm guessing if you meter the water used in the garden seperately and give them the figures that might keep them happy...but then they only have your word for it you've not hooked it upto the toilets, basins, dishwasher, shower, bath.

stolt

andrew-b wrote: »

I'm guessing if you meter the water used in the garden seperately and give them the figures that might keep them happy...but then they only have your word for it you've not hooked it upto the toilets, basins, dishwasher, shower, bath.

yeah true, well i orignally spoek to both companies that water usage and also the swearage and both actually sounded shocked when they compared usuage to previous years and said it has shot up, they asked if i had a swimming pool or large pond installed!! lol :rotfl:

andrew-b

Much the same as i found above at Ofwat:
http://ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/chargesbills/householdcharges/metered/foul
I downloaded the 2009/10 prices there and i see it says the volume returned to sewer may vary between companies so it might not be 92.5% for you.
So basically we need to establish what proof you need to provide in order to get them to charge you more fairly. Does seem quite unfair that if you want to use an unattended watering system you have to have a meter but then they don't charge you fairly when they do give you a meter! I daresay others in the water forum my have experienced similar probs so worth a look.

stolt

:)

andrew-b wrote: »

Much the same as i found above at Ofwat:
http://ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/chargesbills/householdcharges/metered/foul
I downloaded the 2009/10 prices there and i see it says the volume returned to sewer may vary between companies so it might not be 92.5% for you.
So basically we need to establish what proof you need to provide in order to get them to charge you more fairly. Does seem quite unfair that if you want to use an unattended watering system you have to have a meter but then they don't charge you fairly when they do give you a meter! I daresay others in the water forum my have experienced similar probs so worth a look.

cheers andrew, your a right little investigator.... you should be a solictior:)