Water bill help

mrs_motivated

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Hi all, I am currently renting a 2 bed house and have just received my 2nd water bill (I moved in last November until I could find somewhere to buy). Anyway, the water bill works out a £62 per month since we moved in.

3 of us live here and I would guess we have about 15 showers and 2 baths per week between us. Showers are About five mins each. We have a normal amount of washing, a rated energy saving washer with large load capacity. Say about 5 full loads per week.

I am with Severn Trent and although its a 200 year old cottage, it is on a meter. I phoned seven Trent who said the usage is high and to take a meter reading, use no water for 4 hours and read again , the reading was the same, so no leaks.

Two of us are at work all day and this seems much more than my previous home, which had 3 bathrooms and five of us living there etc.

Can anyone advise. I am also confused about the bill, which shows actual meter readings 96m3. Water supply £146.11, then used water 96 m3 £88.51. With the standing charges the total bill is £301.29 and the are increasing my dd to £64 per month from £58. I am wondering if this is normal as I admit its a long time since I had to pay any bills, but I expected water to be £40 per month max.

Cardew

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Can anyone advise. I am also confused about the bill, which shows actual meter readings 96m3. Water supply £146.11, then used water 96 m3 £88.51. With the standing charges the total bill is £301.29 and the are increasing my dd to £64 per month from £58. I am wondering if this is normal as I admit its a long time since I had to pay any bills, but I expected water to be £40 per month max.

You don't say the period of the bill. If it was 6 months then for 3 people the consumption is only slightly above average. The average consumption is approx 55 to 60m3 per person per year.

It would appear however you are paying for SWD(Surface Water Drainage). That is where water from gutters, grounds etc enters the sewerage system(look up SWD on MSE)

Mind you that is very possible with a 200 year old cottage, unless steps were taken when mains sewerage was connected.

mrs_motivated

Thank you, and yes it is for six months and yes I am paying the surface water drainage. How do I know if I should be paying this as its £90 a year?

I don't mind paying if it is right, it just surprised me as it seems a couple of hundred pounds a year more than my friends etc.

However, I have been thinking about this all day and think I may have power showers (not sure how I can tell for certain). But the flow is very fast and they have those huge square waterfall shower heads.

Still, I am hoping to move in the next two weeks. So will see if the bills reduce there.

macman

Power showers have an electric pump to boost the flow rate. And yes, 15 of those per week will of course push up your water bills...

mrs_motivated

Sorry for been thick here, but how do I know if there is a pump? They work off of the combi boiler, but not sure if there is a pump.

Literally a large shower head from ceiling and a control panel inset in tiles.

Cardew

You won't have a 'power shower' if you have a combi boiler.

A power shower uses water from a hot water tank which is 'boosted' by a pump. The water comes out with considerable pressure and the rate of flow is far more than a combi could produce, and the pump is noisy.

macman

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Sorry for been thick here, but how do I know if there is a pump? They work off of the combi boiler, but not sure if there is a pump.

Literally a large shower head from ceiling and a control panel inset in tiles.

Because you'd hear it start up when you turn the shower on. But not with a combi, as above.

mrs_motivated

Thank you all for your advice.

Crikey if its not a power shower then its the best shower I have ever had, any more powerful and it would knock you over.

englishrose19

15 showers a week... ewwwww! :L

Cardew

englishrose19 wrote: »

15 showers a week... ewwwww! :L

For 3 people!

SternMusik

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Crikey if its not a power shower then its the best shower I have ever had, any more powerful and it would knock you over.

Sounds very similar to the shower in my house. Off the combi boiler, very powerful and no flow control. I bought a flow restricting showerhead (easy to change) which brought the flow down to 50%. Still very generous.

Not sure this will be possible in your property though. Your water company might be able to send you a flow restrictor free of charge; maybe you can fit that.