£75/month water bill?

simmed

We're students living near Newcastle. We're getting a £75 monthly bill JUST for water. Is that a normal price to pay? Apparently one of my housemates phoned up and was told there was nothing they or he could do about it. It seems very expensive to me, but I don't know as I've got no comparison.



Also, just so I don't have to make a new thread, we haven't got one of the hexagonal plastic keys for our outside gas/elec meters - can you buy them from anywhere?

PasturesNew

It depends where you are and whether there's a meter or if it's based on rateable value, how many of you there are.

My parents' 3-bed semi with Southwest Water was £60/month 4-5 years ago, it'd be £75/month by now if they'd not switched to a meter.

If there's two of you, on a meter, in most areas you'd probably have a bill of £20-25/month probably.... if your student house has 6 of you and you all shower every day for 20 minutes then even on a meter it'd add up.

Gothicfairy

The payment plan amount really means nothing as there are many many reasons for a payment plan to be higher then the current usage.
What is your usage ? That is the most important question..What was the meter reading when you moved in and what is your meter reading now.
Did you give the water company a meter reading when you moved in ?
Does anything leak ?

More info is required before anyone can really help you

ColinFishwick

I pay £35 recently went up from £29 family of 4, no idea of how much we use although have a wc that uses little water and a shower the same

Cardew

simmed wrote: »

We're students living near Newcastle. We're getting a £75 monthly bill JUST for water. Is that a normal price to pay? Apparently one of my housemates phoned up and was told there was nothing they or he could do about it. It seems very expensive to me, but I don't know as I've got no comparison.



Also, just so I don't have to make a new thread, we haven't got one of the hexagonal plastic keys for our outside gas/elec meters - can you buy them from anywhere?

Yes you can buy keys, or a 'snipe' nosed pair of pliers will twist shaft.

£75 a month is high even though you probly only pay 10 months a year.

More info needed.

macman

If the billing is based on RV, then there is nothing you can do except switch to metered billing.

simmed

There's 5 of us, I don't think we use a huge amount of water..

We haven't got any meter readings ever, or gave anyone a meter reading.

So it's not worth switching to metered?

macman

simmed wrote: »

There's 5 of us, I don't think we use a huge amount of water..

We haven't got any meter readings ever, or gave anyone a meter reading.

So it's not worth switching to metered?

You still haven't said if it's RV or metered billing! Do you have a meter? Does your bill have opening and closing meter readings on it?
If it is a metered supply, then it may be based on estimated readings or agent readings-it will clearly show this on your bill.

shellsuit

We're a family of 5 (3 beds) and pay £40 a month.

My Dad is on his own (1 bed) and his is £36 a month.

We live local to each other too so I have no idea why we pay virtually the same but we use plenty more water than him!


Maybe that's a normal price for your neck of the woods?

HappyMJ

simmed wrote: »

There's 5 of us, I don't think we use a huge amount of water..

We haven't got any meter readings ever, or gave anyone a meter reading.

So it's not worth switching to metered?

You need to give meter readings or at least check that what they are billing you is accurate.

Let's assume for a minute that's it's correct and you do get a £900 a year water bill. £112.70 of that is standing charges and the remainder of £787.30 buys 388,215 litres at £2.028 per 1,000 litres.

388,215 divide by 365 days then divide by 5 people is 152 litres per person per day. That is average but you did say you didn't use a huge amount of water so you should have used less than that. The average person wastes a lot of water. Maybe the previous occupants did and the estimates are based on their usage.

Gothicfairy

simmed wrote: »

There's 5 of us, I don't think we use a huge amount of water..

We haven't got any meter readings ever, or gave anyone a meter reading.

So it's not worth switching to metered?

But do you have a meter or not ?

IF not then you are billed on the RV system and the payment plan has nothing to do with consumption.
IF you have a meter then you need to supply meter readings as without any readings the payment plan means nothing.

You still need to supply more info