Water Bills questions and comment

jaxster1

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can advise...we are 2 people in a 2 bed cottage, with South West Water and installed a water meter last July (we bought the property in June). Just received a quarterly bill for £222. Of this, water usage is £84, with £137 for sewerage. Does this seem the usual figure for sewerage? This was for a period when we did not have a shower fitted so could only take baths. We now use the shower, occasionally have baths, and are pretty tight with our water usage! We are end of 3 in a terrace, and guttering for all 3 cottages connects at the corner of our property and flows into our drain.
If £137 for 3 months sewerage is normal, please let me know so I can just silently vent at the water company. If not, what do you advise?

Many thanks

mute_posting

jaxster1 wrote: »

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can advise...we are 2 people in a 2 bed cottage, with South West Water and installed a water meter last July (we bought the property in June). Just received a quarterly bill for £222. Of this, water usage is £84, with £137 for sewerage. Does this seem the usual figure for sewerage? This was for a period when we did not have a shower fitted so could only take baths. We now use the shower, occasionally have baths, and are pretty tight with our water usage! We are end of 3 in a terrace, and guttering for all 3 cottages connects at the corner of our property and flows into our drain.
If £137 for 3 months sewerage is normal, please let me know so I can just silently vent at the water company. If not, what do you advise?

Many thanks

Is that bill from an actual meter reading or an estimate?

AFAIK, waste water is often charged at more than water, so maybe not unusual that waste costs more.

I think only commercial / industrial customers have waste physically metered - domestic have the waste inferred from their water usage (i.e. what has gone in comes out) so don't worry too much that all gutters connect via your downpipe!

HTH

MP

jaxster1

Thanks muteposting for your reply. Guess we're in an expensive water rates area then. We'll just have to suck it up as paying our dues for living somewhere with a lot of beautiful coastline! Out of interest, what does AFAIK mean?

thanks.

JAH_2

jaxster1 wrote: »

Thanks muteposting for your reply. Guess we're in an expensive water rates area then. We'll just have to suck it up as paying our dues for living somewhere with a lot of beautiful coastline! Out of interest, what does AFAIK mean?

thanks.

Not meaning to butt in here, but I think AFAIK means, As Far As I Know.
As far as I know! If you see what I mean. :rolleyes:

mute_posting

jaxster1 wrote: »

Thanks muteposting for your reply. Guess we're in an expensive water rates area then. We'll just have to suck it up as paying our dues for living somewhere with a lot of beautiful coastline! Out of interest, what does AFAIK mean?

thanks.

AFAIK = as far as I know - i.e. I'm suggesting based on when bits I have picked up on here - I'm not saying that is definitely the case!

You never said if the bill was estimated or read... How many m3 water have you used?

I only mention it because £888 per year on a meter sounds high to me (although I don't know your unit rates which could be high) for 2 people - it would be quite possible on a rateable value (i.e. unmetered) bill

As a reference point an average adult uses 52 - 60 m3 of water per year (depending on who you ask on here!)

HTH

MP

jaxster1

Hi, it's a meter reading. Reading through the bill it looks like prices went up 1st April. Rates are £1.57 for water and a standing charge of £29.88 plus sewerage at £2.79 and standing charge of £12.60.

We used 52 cubic metres from Jan - 15th April. We did only have a bath then (although we did share bath water!), so hopefully consumption will reduce now we have a shower. Sorry to ask another question, but is it possible then that our sewerage will also reduce in line with our water bill?

thanks for your input.

mute_posting

jaxster1 wrote: »

Hi, it's a meter reading. Reading through the bill it looks like prices went up 1st April. Rates are £1.57 for water and a standing charge of £29.88 plus sewerage at £2.79 and standing charge of £12.60.

We used 52 cubic metres from Jan - 15th April. We did only have a bath then (although we did share bath water!), so hopefully consumption will reduce now we have a shower. Sorry to ask another question, but is it possible then that our sewerage will also reduce in line with our water bill?

thanks for your input.

Make sure you read your own meter - sometimes a bill will come with "reading" and it may be wrong. (A bit like you would check your bank statements against your cheque stubs)

As I understand it you are charged for the water you take in (i.e the 52 m3) you are then charged to remove this same ammount of water as sewage/waste water. - This assumes your waste goes to the sewer and not a private septic tank & soakaway.

On top of this there is probably a charge for your surface water (i.e. the stuff that falls on your roof etc and goes to drain (if you can prove all surface water etc goes to soakaway you should not be charged for this part)

AFAIK, the only way to reduce the sewage charge (pay for less volume of sewage than water you take) in is for people that have large gardens to have a seperate meter fitted to their outside tap.

i.e. say they use 50 m3 in house and another 20m3 in garden, if they can prove that the metered water from the outside tap doesn't enter the drains they will only be charge for using the 20m3 not removing it e.g. they pay to use 70m3 but only pay to send 50m3 to sewage - if that makes sense! lol

MP

deanos

jaxster1 wrote: »

). Just received a quarterly bill for £222. Of this, water usage is £84, with £137 for sewerage

Water is billed twice a year not 4 times

You said you had it installed in July and you have just got a bill April so thats 9 months useage you are being billed for ?

carol_a_3

Hi, I live in South West water area and we are billed quarterly on a meter. I had one installed last April because my unmetered water for the past year was going to be £778. I got my final bill for the year yesterday and we paid £631 over the year so I saved £145. I am on my own with two teenage children so I try to be frugal with the water and we don't have baths, I use a butt for the garden and don't wash my car! but I do about 4 loads of washing a week and loads of showers. For the past quarter we used 40 units so if the enquirer used 52 units during this period then that bill seems right. Welcome to the most expensive water area in the country!!

deanos

Ahh right, thought it was twice a year for metered bills at most places