Just got water bill - alleged big increase in usage.....

stayathomemum

Hi

Just wondered if anyone could offer any advice.

Just got the latest water bill from South East Water. Our monthly payment has just risen from £11.00 p/m to £20.01 p/m. During the last billing period, our water usage went up from 49 cubic metres to 74 cubic metres :mad:

There have been no changes in the way we use water, there are 2 adults and 2 children under 5 in the house.

I've been in touch with the Water company, and they are sending an inspector round sometime in the next week to see if there are any leaks.

Anyone got any experience of this happening? I'm hoping it's just an error reading the meter, rather than a leak. Don't suppose we'll get a refund if there is a leak, mind you.

oldwiring

Make sure they have reead correct meter, and that reading in your meter is in line with bill. Mistakes do happen.

Cardew

I am assuming that both billing periods were for 6 months?

Looking at the obvious things first. Are either this last reading or the previous 2 readings estimated? My water meters readings are often estimated.

If there has indeed been a 50% increase in usage, a leak or wrong meter reading(last time or the time before) is probable.

However the average consumption for a family of 4 is approx 240 cu mtrs a year. So even the 74 cubic metres is low(for a 6 month period)

Wig

You can check for leak yourself, just turn off all the water. and look at the meter. it should be still.

Even a tiny drip on a kitchen tap will register on the meter, so if you have a leak of any significance it will show itself.

keziah

We have just had a huge bill for waste water arrive this morning. Like you, we've been told it's down to an increase in consumption. They changed our meter in June, and in September sent us 2 bills, a week apart, one for the old meter and one for the new. We queried it then because it seemed to have gone up and they told us increased consumption.

I got out all the old water bills I could find going back to 1999 and the supply shows consumption of about 70 m on each one for the 6 months (it has been as low as 54 once and up to 81 once but generally 69- 78). This latest one is 107!

We were a family of 6 but 2 of the teens have gone to uni- the latest one this September- covering this bill. Of the 4 of us left, DH and I each have a bath once a week; the dishwasher is run once a day; and I do 4-5 loads of washing at the weekend. We are all out of the house all day. I used mid kent water's chart for estimating our average usage and it came out to about 95 litres a day each, well below the average 160 litres a day.

I tried to ring Southern and mid kent water today but they were too busy to answer my call- the usual story every time I try to ring. I see that if they check the meter and it is correct we then get charged for the callout.

There are no obvious leaks indoors or out- the front garden between the meter and the house is bone dry. Stayathomemum did you have any joy asking them to check?

deanos

Have you been paying enough ? The incresed payment might include arrears as well as price increases

smudger1964

Hey thats weird I too just got my water bill from south east water and my consumption has gone up from 66 cubic metres to 86 like you we have the same number of people using water and havent changed our water useage. Mind you they are now charging £1.30 per cubic meter or 1000 litres

Cardew

keziah wrote:

We have just had a huge bill for waste water arrive this morning. Like you, we've been told it's down to an increase in consumption. They changed our meter in June, and in September sent us 2 bills, a week apart, one for the old meter and one for the new. We queried it then because it seemed to have gone up and they told us increased consumption.

I got out all the old water bills I could find going back to 1999 and the supply shows consumption of about 70 m on each one for the 6 months (it has been as low as 54 once and up to 81 once but generally 69- 78). This latest one is 107!

We were a family of 6 but 2 of the teens have gone to uni- the latest one this September- covering this bill. Of the 4 of us left, DH and I each have a bath once a week; the dishwasher is run once a day; and I do 4-5 loads of washing at the weekend. We are all out of the house all day. I used mid kent water's chart for estimating our average usage and it came out to about 95 litres a day each, well below the average 160 litres a day.

I tried to ring Southern and mid kent water today but they were too busy to answer my call- the usual story every time I try to ring. I see that if they check the meter and it is correct we then get charged for the callout.

There are no obvious leaks indoors or out- the front garden between the meter and the house is bone dry. Stayathomemum did you have any joy asking them to check?

As you point out, the average consumption, for a family of 6, is approx 1 cubic meter a day so approx 180 cubic meters for a 6 months period.

So when you were a family of 6 you were using under 40% of the average and your usage doesn’t seem to be particularly light – especially as using the toilet is a major percentage of consumption.

Just playing the devil’s advocate, is it not possible that your old meter was faulty in your favour? One would suspect an old meter rather than a new meter.

Even 107 cubic meters for a family of 4 is below average - and presumably your 2 in higher education were at home for much of the period as well? University starting in Oct?

Logic would suggest that a check of the new meter will not reveal a fault.

melbury

stayathomemum wrote:

Hi

Just wondered if anyone could offer any advice.

Just got the latest water bill from South East Water. Our monthly payment has just risen from £11.00 p/m to £20.01 p/m. During the last billing period, our water usage went up from 49 cubic metres to 74 cubic metres :mad:

There have been no changes in the way we use water, there are 2 adults and 2 children under 5 in the house.

I've been in touch with the Water company, and they are sending an inspector round sometime in the next week to see if there are any leaks.

Anyone got any experience of this happening? I'm hoping it's just an error reading the meter, rather than a leak. Don't suppose we'll get a refund if there is a leak, mind you.

That sounds pretty reasonable to me. We are a family of three adults out most days at work and we pay £34 per month in Wessex Water area.

oldwiring

Cardew wrote:

As you point out, the average consumption, for a family of 6, is approx 1 cubic meter a day so approx 180 cubic meters for a 6 months period.

So when you were a family of 6 you were using under 40% of the average and your usage doesn’t seem to be particularly light – especially as using the toilet is a major percentage of consumption.

Just playing the devil’s advocate, is it not possible that your old meter was faulty in your favour? One would suspect an old meter rather than a new meter.

Even 107 cubic meters for a family of 4 is below average - and presumably your 2 in higher education were at home for much of the period as well? University starting in Oct?

Logic would suggest that a check of the new meter will not reveal a fault.

Small point here Cardew, K mentioned a bill for waste water in his post. I am a bit puzzled that he did not mention his water bill, as isn't the wastewater bill based on the water bill less something like 5% mot retuened to the sewer? If usage on both for the same period does not agree could there be a billing error?

loveandlight

This has just happened to me. I got a bill for £124.00 asking for payment still due for the second half of 2006. I queried it with Severn Trent as it didn't seem right to me although I was expecting them to argue that it was correct. It took me two weeks to get through to them by phone. It turns out the bill that I had paid for last year was for the surface drainage for the whole roof of the apartment building where we live. The chap said I should never have been billed for that as it's not my responsibility ( too right it's not!). I have just received an amended bill for £39.00. So it does pay sometimes to query it.