It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

jediteacher

After asking to join I have been absent due to the lack of internet connection. Still really ropey but functions a third of the time.

Very pleased with myself as I have for the first time ever made soup from scratch and it tasted ok!!! :j

Fired off an email to a well know supermarket about the veg they delivered this week. Half the items were mouldy, going off or well passed any sort of freshness! Not impressed. I have finally found a local greengrocer and will be going there from now on. Still need to find a butcher and then that'll be me avoiding supermarkets.

I'm down south and to be honest I hate this weather. I know there are those that do not have this sunshine and I would give my right arm to swop places. As someone on here already said they get the summer version of SAD and that is certainly what I feel like.

Tregemred

mardatha wrote: »

Do these water bills cover sewage as well ? Our CT says £140-odd for water and £160 -odd for sewage, per year. How does that compare to England then ?

Severn Trent

Water Supply - Rateable Value £167 - Pence per rateable value 102.15
Sewerage and surface water - 97.68

Payments - April £41.74 - May to November £41.71

HTH

TGR

Charis

maryb wrote: »

Separate bill from council tax. They assume the same volume of sewgae disposal as water use - which is a bit of a con because some water inevitably goes back into the water table by filtering through the ground without going through the drains.

However we don't use huge amounts of treated water on the garden so I don't feel too cheated.

I'm puzzled. Unless you have a leaky sewer what water goes in the house should mostly come out via the sewerage system. The exceptions being any that you spray on the garden or if you have a 'soakaway' to drain off rainwater. As rainwater isn't metered, it doesn't factor in the equation.

Charis

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

I'm puzzled. Unless you have a leaky sewer what water goes in the house should mostly come out via the sewerage system. The exceptions being any that you spray on the garden or if you have a 'soakaway' to drain off rainwater. As rainwater isn't metered, it doesn't factor in the equation.

Charis

...and I'm still feeling a bit puzzled re the rainwater part of the equation. A friend of mine said I would save money on my (metered) bill if I reminded the Water Board that some of the water (ie rainwater) that comes to my house doesnt go down the drains - as I collect it in my waterbutt and use it on the garden. Having asked here on the Utilities Forum - people didnt seem to think I would actually save anything from that - so I'm guessing maybe my friend got it wrong and its only water that comes in through the mains that counts as going back out again through the sewage anyway.

I know I'm not using (ie disposing of) much water that way - but had been hoping. Guess I'll just have to content myself with thinking that each waterbutt worth of water I use saves me 95p - so very roughly I save about 20p each day that I water my garden from the waterbutt rather than from the mains (and I'm told the plants prefer rainwater to mains water - perhaps part of the reason they are all looking like a re-run of The Day of the Triffids:rotfl:).

(Mardatha - don't worry about Triffids in yours - they're all corralled in my place - doing their plotting and planning.....
- do you think I could "drop a little word in their ear" - "BANKERS - go Rover...fetch... Rover....".....)

the_cat

This is the first time I have read this thread and come away feeling cross!!!!

It would appear I have the most expensive water bill in history:mad:
Yearly cost of £620

That's on rates for a basic 3 bed house! Unfortunately it's not worth going over to a meter as with 2 adults and 2 teens in the place it would be even more. GGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Tregemred

I read an article some time ago about a second hand car sales man who put a small shelter up on his used car lot to get out of the weather when necessary. Previously, he had not had to pay water rates but the water board deemed the shelter as a building, the runoff of which was collected in the drains and billed him.

ceridwen

the_cat wrote: »

This is the first time I have read this thread and come away feeling cross!!!!

It would appear I have the most expensive water bill in history:mad:
Yearly cost of £620

That's on rates for a basic 3 bed house! Unfortunately it's not worth going over to a meter as with 2 adults and 2 teens in the place it would be even more. GGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

There are ones that could beat that in some parts of the country.....

One point I am noticing from the posts is that people are counting what their water bill is per building - well ..thats how the Water Companies count as well..

However - I think a more "accurate" reflection of costs is to count "per person". Put like that - thats about £13 per person per month on this house.

Mardatha's bill is about £12.50 per person per month (2 person household)

PaganGirl's bill is the highest mentioned to date - at £14.50 per person per month (1 person household).

I cant tell with other people as to what their bill per person per month is - as I don't know how many people are in their household.

the_cat

ceridwen wrote: »

However - I think a more "accurate" reflection of costs is to count "per person". Put like that - thats about £13 per person per month on this house.

.

I see what you are saying.

However the cost for me would be the same however many people lived in the house. It seems fair enough that me being 'down south' I should have to pay more than those in the colder/wetter parts of the country but totally unfair that the neighbouring Thames Water area charge huge amounts less per unit than my lot when they have the same weather as me!

Still hey-ho, it could be worse!!

Tregemred

ceridwen wrote: »

There are ones that could beat that in some parts of the country.....

One point I am noticing from the posts is that people are counting what their water bill is per building - well ..thats how the Water Companies count as well..

However - I think a more "accurate" reflection of costs is to count "per person". Put like that - thats about £13 per person per month on this house.

Mardatha's bill is about £12.50 per person per month (2 person household)

PaganGirl's bill is the highest mentioned to date - at £14.50 per person per month (1 person household).

I cant tell with other people as to what their bill per person per month is - as I don't know how many people are in their household.

£6.95 per person, per month. I'm stunned! In a good way!

In our defence, we grow fruit, veg and have a lawn (sucking up excess water before it enters the sewers), have 5 water butts and counting, share baths (sometimes with our hand washing) or shower and collect the grey water for plants, only use washing machine (aaa+ rated) and dishwasher full, wash car with harvested water, etc.

I'm truly stunned, I had to check the figures several times, 333.71/12/4=6.952291. I now see why the water companies are so keen to get everyone on a meter. I think we'd manage because we're frugal anyway, just as well!

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

There are ones that could beat that in some parts of the country.....

One point I am noticing from the posts is that people are counting what their water bill is per building - well ..thats how the Water Companies count as well..

However - I think a more "accurate" reflection of costs is to count "per person".

Ours works out at £19.50 per person per month - and one of those is more often away than here (at college all day, out overnight etc). But I do have a big garden, and my little veg beds get watered daily. The rest hardly gets watered at all, or via a watering can which uses far less, or so they say.

Incidentally, on the subject of watering the veg, I did once read (was it on the Down to Earth blog?) that you should avoid collecting water from roofs covered in tarry roofing felt, such as sheds and some older flat roofs, because of the chemicals which leach into the water.

Charis