Water usage based on rateable value???

antdon

Some very interesting replies...

A question (or 2) for anyone who has swopped.....

Did you carry on using the same quantity of water???
And if you did use the same quantity of water... how much saving did you make?

Oh! and another....

If you did the water companys water usage calculator... Was the result realistic

BackOnTrack

You're not really going to know if you use less or more water as a result of being metered. Generally the water industry assume a 5% saving in water used for those who choose to be metered (it is also assumed this group use less water than average to begin with) and that people who have a compulsory meter installed save 10% water (this group are assumed to have average water use to begin with). The number of studies this is based on is somewhat limited but these are generally the values used.

The water calculators supplied by companies can vary depending on the granularity of the information they allow you to enter. Of course how good the information you put into them has a much larger effect on the answer.

Bigmoney2

Band C sound right for a 3 bed semi,
How much you would pay on a metre depends on usage and how many are in the household.
I am single and currently pay £13 a month, down from last year but due to be revued so may go up a bit.
I would think a metre wold be cheaper unless your a large family, I think if its not you can revert back to ratable value during the first year anyway.

macman

Bigmoney2 wrote: »

Band C sound right for a 3 bed semi,
How much you would pay on a metre depends on usage and how many are in the household.
I am single and currently pay £13 a month, down from last year but due to be revued so may go up a bit.
I would think a metre wold be cheaper unless your a large family, I think if its not you can revert back to ratable value during the first year anyway.

But as pointed out earlier by Gothicfairy, the CT band has no correlation whatsoever with the RV-totally different things.
Many huge draughty mansions have relatively low RV's, simply because 30 years at the time of assessment, nobody wanted to rent such properties.
It's a wholly unsatisfactory system, but without a national reval, is not going to change.

antdon

Many thanks for all the replies....

Gothicfairy

bluewire wrote: »

Gothic I think that you may have mis-read McKneff's post.
What McKneff said is...."IF you live in a flat where you cant have a meter fitted" Then "You can ask for an assessed charge".

All of this is true. I do agree that it may have helped if the wording was......
If you live in a flat where after applying for a water meter you are informed by your WC that you cant have a meter fitted due to shared supply etc, then you can ask for an assessed charge.

You are of course right...Not sure why I missed it but I did, I am sorry McKneff my fault.

Candy53

There's me, hubby, and our 2 teenage children in our house.
We are unmetered, and have paid £411 this last year, and it will be going up this year.

There's no way we would have a meter fitted as the water is saturated with chlorine. It smells so much that it stung my eyes once when I ran the tap. That is my point, we have to run the taps first to get half decent water. We can't drink it. The taste of it comes through in a cup of tea.

Candy

Dan918

You can quiz UU all you like but it will not make any difference , they did not set the RV, they do not even know what it applied too at the time and they CAN NOT change it.

What do you mean they cannot change the RV rate is there a governing body making sure they don't or is it just assumed they won't??

Cardew

Dan918 wrote: »

What do you mean they cannot change the RV rate is there a governing body making sure they don't or is it just assumed they won't??

The Rateable Value(RV) was the basis of 'local taxes' prior to April 1990. Then came the 'Poll Tax' followed by the current system - Council Tax.

Most properties in England and Wales had their RV assessed in 1972, although those built after 1972 until April 1990 were also assessed and given an RV

The RV was a figure for the notional rent a property could command.(not it's value). The assessment was based on a number of factors, modernisation, amenities in area(schools/bus routes libraries etc) garage.

After 1990 there was no need for any assessment of RV and the Council departments closed. At the same time water meters were made compulsory for all properties built after April 1990.

As some people in houses with a low RV and high water consumption would have faced a huge jump in their water bills, it was decreed that the Water companies were allowed to carry on using the 'historic' RV as the basis of water charges. However there is no mechanism to change that RV assessment.

If a property is modernised/enlarged etc, the owners are supposed to notify the water company and get a meter fitted - few people comply.

UsetheFORCE

It is not possible to change the RV, FULL STOP.

You either change to metered or don't!!!

In the last year, I have lived in three houses within 500 metres of each other, similar houses with no obvious reason for changes in water consumption.

House A was £240 a year, House B was £370 a year and House C is £340 a year, nowt I can do about apart from get a meter and doubt I would actually save money.

There is nothing I can do about it as they are based on RV, which were fixed at some point before 1990 and are no longer reassessed.