Received First Water Bill Today

Devo

Hi Guys,

We have just received our first water bill since moving into our new flat. I'm not sure if it's too high or exactly what the charges relate to. Can someone please clarify the following:

From 23rd August to 31 March 2007
Water - 50.32
Wastewater - 77.63
Surface Water Drainage - 13.32
Highway Drainage - 3.63

Total - £144.90

However, it also says you can pay by instalments but this is not great as I have to pay £25.17 immediately and the rest of the balance (£119.33) on 1st October. Do you think they will allow us to pay over a longer period of time as it'll hit me hard next month if I have to fork all that out in one go

Cardew

Have you checked if you should be paying for surface water drainage? Most people should not be paying that. See:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=192960

sadfurry

Hi, they do allow payments over a longer period, but first read your meter and check the bills right.

oldwiring

Hi there Devo! From the figures you gave I assume that you are in an unmetered property and you receive your bills from Southern Water, the flat having a rateable value (RV) of £123 or thereabouts. The bill is based on the amount due for the complete year 1/4/2006 to 31/3/2007 apportioned to your occupation from 23/8/2006 to 31/3/2007. The figures would appear correct on my assumptions.

I am a little surprised that SW has not offered you a monthly direct debit scheme to you. Have you asked?
.
You do not say how many are in your household but https://www.southernwater.co.uk/customerservices2006/meters/wouldyoubenefit.asp
Has a calculator that might help you decide if metering is to your benefit. As it works on averages you may need to do some recalculations to meet any peculiar circumstances you have, e.g. a dirty job

If you decide to go along the metered route, you may find one cannot be fitted. That being so, you should be offered an assessed charge. Unfortunately or by design the website https://www.southernwater.co.uk has no details.

I hope this may be of assistance.

BTW I think you mixed up the water and wastewater figures in your OP.

oldwiring

No in household /Annual usage (cu.metre)
1 105
2 157
3 204
4 228
5 272
Hi Devo!
The above table contains the figures given for average annual use.
Charges for wastewater make an allowance of 5% for water not returned to the public sewer.

Cardew

oldwiring wrote:

No in household /Annual usage (cu.metre)
1 105
2 157
3 204
4 228
5 272
Hi Devo!
The above table contains the figures given for average annual use.
Charges for wastewater make an allowance of 5% for water not returned to the public sewer.

OW,
Where did you get those figures from?

Ofwat and every publication I have read give the average consumption as 165 litres per person per day. approx 60 cu mtr. Consumption of water being roughly proportional to the number of people in the house. 1 = 60, 2 =120 etc.

Not saying your figures are wrong but they are much higher than anything I have seen.

Devo

Thanks for the replies. We do not have a meter and there is just the two of us in the flat (me and the missus). We are both out during the day and I have estimated that we will have around 14 showers a week. Flush the toilet maybe 3 times a day during week, maybe more at weekends and do approx 3 loads of washing per week. Our rateable value as showing on the bill is 123 - how does this sound

oldwiring

Cardew wrote:

OW,
Where did you get those figures from?

Ofwat and every publication I have read give the average consumption as 165 litres per person per day. approx 60 cu mtr. Consumption of water being roughly proportional to the number of people in the house. 1 = 60, 2 =120 etc.

Not saying your figures are wrong but they are much higher than anything I have seen.

The Anglian Water site. Perhaps on the basis that only dirty prople wash, they are more filthy than the average acrosss the country:D

Since writing I have found at https://www.southernwater.co.uk/customerservices2006/meters/wouldyoubenefit.asp
an estimar of 50cu,metre oer year. Makes one wonder how the stats are gathered an all thie accuracies. In fact it seems to em that the best way to assess is to look at one's own habits and look at how much each use consumes and do one's own sums. I know those figures are somwhere,b ut where?

oldwiring

Cardew can you point me to the Ofwat figures, please? I might even be cheeky and emil Anglian to find out why their table is so diffrent from what you vlaim is shown by Ofwat. TBH I wonder if one set of assumptions is based on a gobal average, whilst the other works someaht differently. I wonder if Anglia have allowed that two do not necesssarily use twice as much water as one and so on. Washing machies may be an example.

Cardew

oldwiring wrote:

Cardew can you point me to the Ofwat figures, please? I might even be cheeky and emil Anglian to find out why their table is so diffrent from what you vlaim is shown by Ofwat. TBH I wonder if one set of assumptions is based on a gobal average, whilst the other works someaht differently. I wonder if Anglia have allowed that two do not necesssarily use twice as much water as one and so on. Washing machies may be an example.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=3653

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4759960.stm

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050901b.htm

oldwiring

Thanks, Cardew However I am still having trouble finding the mention of 60 cu.m per year per person- probab;ly cos I have a bad cold at moment. weell that's my excuse:D