Expensive bills with Water Meter

sophieq

Hi all,

Just a quick one, I got a water meter when I moved into my new flat a few years ago as I thought it was the cheapest option. However, after looking on here I think there could be a problem. I live alone in a 1 bed flat, am out at work every week day and spend very little time there at the weekend. My bills are £47 a month. Does this seem excessive to anyone? Is there anything I can do about this?

Cheers for any help,

Sophie.

Gothicfairy

I am guessing you mean that your payment plan is £47 per month rather then your bill as no water company I know bill domestic customer by the month.
The answer to the main question is not as simple though.
Did you have a debt when you started your payment plan?
Are your bills based on actual readings ?
What are your bill amounts and what is the usage per bill?
What drainage band is showing on the bill?

sophieq

Hi Gothicfairy, thanks for getting back to me.

Gothicfairy wrote: »

I am guessing you mean that your payment plan is £47 per month rather then your bill as no water company I know bill domestic customer by the month. - Yes, you're correct, this is the amount that I pay every month. This is actually £43.46 now that I look at my bill, I'd misremembered.

The answer to the main question is not as simple though.

Did you have a debt when you started your payment plan? - The plan carries over from last year and says that £82.30 is being carried over and my estimated usage for the next 12 months is £434.41

Are your bills based on actual readings ? - Yes, the bill states that readings were taken


What are your bill amounts and what is the usage per bill? - The current bill says "The amount you owe this year is £516.71". It says my actual usage between January and July this year was 72 cubic metres (this bill is for Aug 09 -Jul 10)


What drainage band is showing on the bill? - I can't see anything about a drainage band on the bill, but it says that the "Surface water/highway drainage" charge was £67 for the first 3 months of the year and £70 for the next 3, is that what you meant?

I've been on a few of those sites where you estimate your usage and my bill does seem to be a lot more than it probably should be.

Many thanks for any help again!

Sophie.

Cardew

The two major factors are where you live and how much water you use.

The South West for example charges more than twice the price of other areas of UK.

The average consumption in UK is approx 60 cubic metres per person per year. If you have actually used 72 cubic metres(i.e. not based on estimated meter readings) from Jan to July this year, you are using well over double the average. From your lifestyle you should be well below average.

You don't say where your meter is situated?

Is it possible that your water mains supply is such that you are, say, supplying the flat next door(often happens). Particularly in older flats and conversions a water supply pipe will go next door so your meter is measuring that supply.

That is easy to check. Very accurately note your meter reading(including the fractional digits) when you will be out of the flat for a while and note it when you get back - it shouldn't have moved.

Obviously you need to check for a leak - but in a flat(assuming the meter is in the flat) it would normally be obvious. The exception is a leaking cistern in a toilet - i.e. water running down the inside of the bowl.

iamana1ias

Cardew wrote: »

That is easy to check. Very accurately note your meter reading(including the fractional digits) when you will be out of the flat for a while and note it when you get back - it shouldn't have moved.
.

Unless you have your washing machine on while you are out

Also, just because you aren't home much diesnt mean you aren't using lots of water. Are you showering for 2 hours a day, for example.

C_Mababejive

Turn all your taps off. Note the meter reading,come back in a hour and see if it has incremented. If so>leak.

Do you have a combi boiler?

sophieq

Hi guys,

thanks for the help, much appreciated.

I'll try checking the meter before I go to work tomorrow and again when I get in.

I'm in the Greater Manchester area, so it sounds like my bills are too much.

Cheers,

Sophie.

PS. I probably spend about 10 mins a day in the shower, it is a power shower, but not THAT powerful!

Cardew

sophieq wrote: »

PS. I probably spend about 10 mins a day in the shower, it is a power shower, but not THAT powerful!

A lot of people confuse an 'electric shower' with a 'power shower'.

A Power shower uses water from a hot water tank and a pump is used to produce a very high pressure jet of water - they can use very large amounts of water.

An electric shower heats the water as it is used.

sophieq

Yes, it's a power shower. I'll check the meter tomorrow before and after a shower and again when I'm at work.

spinningsheep

I realised today that we haven't yet received our bill from Severn Trent, our last on was in June so I called just now to check and the nice lady explained it was due to be billed in Jan, so its actually 7 months this time not 6, and I asked if she was able to work out roughly what we have used if I gave her an up to date meter read, and wow! In 6 months we have used approx £37 of water, our total bill as it stands is £90.50 and we are £30 in credit so happy days! We haven't really scrimped on water use either, only thing we don't do is have baths, just showers, but that's more to do with the fact that you haven't any interest in a bath by the time it has filled. Painfully slow, rubbish water pressure.

sophieq

Wow, mine is costing one heck of a lot more than yours. I don't think even a power shower accounts for that difference..