Average water rates>?

vaderag

Just had my annual statement and it has shot up from £19 pm to £48 pm

Conveniently thames water's systems are currently down, so they cant tell me why, but seems ridiculous - there are only 2 of us in the house and I have never paid that much even when living with 4!

Jox

Thames Water can visit your property to see if they can fit a meter, if they can't then they will reduce your bills to around £250 per year. This process takes about a month. My bill have gone from £45 a month to £25 a month.

vaderag

Thanks, but in theory I already have a water meter... which concerns me somewhat! It's in the road outside the house though and i've never seen anyone check it...

Sponge

I've recently moved 0.6 miles up the road from a 2 bed terraced house in one post code (L22) to a 3 bed semi in another (L23) and my water rates have tripled!

I knew my council tax was going up two bands and I assumed my water rates would go up as well, but not by that much!

The RV of my old house was £90 and the new one £250. Monthly payments going from around £24pm to £64pm. Not happy.

I tried United Utilities water meter calculator and over estimating the amount of water we use (to be on the safe side) it suggested we'd be over £100 per year worse off on a meter.

I just can't understand why the RV of my new house is so high. And it's not like Council Tax bands, where I can look it up on the VOA website and appeal.

macman

If your RV has gone up 270% then so will your water bills. It has nothing to do with your CT banding. The RV is a historical value and cannot be appealed. Presumably when you purchased the property you knew the RV?
Fit a meter and then have it disregarded within the first 12 months if it turns out to be more expensive. It's a no-brainer.

Cardew

Sponge wrote: »

I've recently moved 0.6 miles up the road from a 2 bed terraced house in one post code (L22) to a 3 bed semi in another (L23) and my water rates have tripled!

I knew my council tax was going up two bands and I assumed my water rates would go up as well, but not by that much!

The RV of my old house was £90 and the new one £250. Monthly payments going from around £24pm to £64pm. Not happy.

I tried United Utilities water meter calculator and over estimating the amount of water we use (to be on the safe side) it suggested we'd be over £100 per year worse off on a meter.

I just can't understand why the RV of my new house is so high. And it's not like Council Tax bands, where I can look it up on the VOA website and appeal.

Firstly the Rateable Value(RV) would have been fixed(i.e. valued for rates) in the period 1973 to 1990. Normally the former date if the house was built then.

You should appreciate that the RV was not based on the value of the property but the notional Rent the property could command at the time of valuation.

The criteria used for valuation depended on many factors other than size of property. Modernisation (e.g bathrooms, kitchen, central heating etc.) garage, ammenities(schooling, bus routes etc). garden size etc.

There is absolutely no method of appealing the RV. Incidentally an RV of £250 for a 3 bed semi is not particularly high - ask any unmetered neighbours about their RV.

* Are you sure that you cannot claim relief for Surface Water drainage - that would save £85 a year. Lots of threads on MSE on this subject.

http://www.unitedutilities.com/Our-charges-2013-2014.aspx

morganvw1

I live in a 3 bed house on my own.

I have a bath every night, use the washing machine twice a week and my kids come and visit every other weekend.

My bill £336 for the year or £28 a month. Is this average?

macman

As explained in the earlier part of this thread, there is no 'average'. Prices vary by as much as 250% across regions. Are you metered or on RV billing?

Spark

I pay my water with my rent, no meter. One person in a 2 bed flat in a towerblock. They are charging me £41 a month. That's £492 a year.
This is ridiculous.
Obviously I can do nought about it as water rates is part of the charges.:(

lukieboy96

I have two bills. Southern Water and South East water. One is £17 per month and £15 for the other one per month. I am in a 1 bed flat. Water meters are being fitted in May!.It is more expensive here than when I was in a 2 bed property!! Downsizing doesn't always reduce your bills.