Reality Check Please - Water usage

caeler

In November I got a water meter and pay the standard £25 pm with wessex water. I was told not to expect my first meter read for 6 months, then I'd start paying for what I'd used. Anyway, I had the meter read last week so I've got my first bill.

Its over 56 days, 24 Nov 09 to 18 Jan 10.

Thing is, it says I've used 1 Cubic Meter!! Is this normal or have I got a serious problem?

I suppose my usage is abnormal - its just me, I use the washing machine at least once per week, dishwasher once per week (prob less), use toilet normally, no garden, if I wash the car I'll use a couple of buckets of water (but this is rare and I only did it once since meter fitted!), I tend not to bath or shower at home (this sounds awful but I swim every day so tend to shower at the pool). Plus for the above period I've been away for 3 weeks.

Sandrock

1 Cubic Meter is about £1.60 of water, excluding standing charges & water disposal etc.

Seems very low to me, but don't knock it

caeler

£1.71 to be precise! I was just a bit worried it was SO low!

27col

As Sandrock says, don't knock it. When we (two of us) went over to a water meter. Our bills dropped to about a third or less of what they had been. a friend of ours who lives on her own in a two bedroomed house only uses about 5 c/m or less, and she has a bath and shower, and a garden.

glider3560

Check your water meter to see if it has been read correctly.

I've never had any problems dealing with Bristol Wessex Billing Services (the billing agent for Wessex Water).

Swipe

Sounds believable if you are not bathing at home.

PasturesNew

I was at home, alone, 24/7 and used 32 units between June 2008 and December 2009. I know this because that's when it was fitted and that's when I moved out, so I remember my final reading.

caeler

Thanks for your thoughts. I definately won't be knocking it and I'll give it a check tomorrow!

DVardysShadow

Does the reading on the bill line up with your meter? Is it the right meter for your property?

Don't congratulate yourself too early for having a low bill - not until you have checked out the above points.

caeler

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Does the reading on the bill line up with your meter? Is it the right meter for your property?

Don't congratulate yourself too early for having a low bill - not until you have checked out the above points.

Agreed. Thats my main concern, I want to be right first time and not owe money. I'm looking forward to having a peep at the meter myself tomorrow.

Fire_Fox

I used to use just over one cubic metre a quarter, so my bills were super cheap. After several years Yorkshire Water read the meter and said I owed them over £400. :eek: Turned out I had read the meter wrong (on their instructions, both web and phone) so they wrote the entire amount off! My last reading was five cubic metres for a quarter, like you I shower elsewhere most of the time. Maybe your reading is right as you have been away?