50% Increase on Bristol Water Bill (Metered)

Welshwoofs

I'm on a water meter and my bills have been holding steady around the £185 for 6-month period mark.

However I've just had my bill for the period July 2012 to Jan 2013 and it's increased by nearly 52%!! Raising from £184 for the previous 6-month period to £381.63 for this 6 month period. Both bills are meter read and not estimates.

Period 26/1/12 to 20/7/12 = 50 cubic meters.
Period 21/7/12 to 30/1/13 = 114 cubic meters.

So according to the bill my usage has more than doubled and this is what mystifies me as nothing has changed and when I filled out the little chart they attached on how often I used the dishwasher, had a bath/shower etc etc the result came out almost exactly the same usage as the previous 6-month for the £184 bill.

I live alone, use the washing machine once a week, dishwasher 2-3 times a week (both are A+ rated and on eco programs), I shower once a day and it's not a power shower (rarely bath) and all the toilets have those quick flush eco button. I don't use a garden hose or sprinklers. I do have a water softener unit but that is regularly serviced and seems to be operating normally.

So - given that my personal usage has not changed, but the water company are claiming it has doubled....do I assume a faulty water meter (it was fitted 2 years ago) or a leak somewhere? If so, how on earth do I go about finding/proving it and whose responsibility is to fix it?

Thanks in advance

deanos

estimated bills ?

leak ?

shared supply ?

mart.vader

Posted by Welshwoofs

"If so, how on earth do I go about finding/proving it and whose responsibility is to fix it?"

See if your meter is moving when you are not using any water. i.e. no washing machine running. No one has just flushed a toilet.

If it's still moving, then you have a leak somewhere.

RonniesMummy

Have you checked the meter readings, with the readings on the bill first of all? Human error by the meter reader is the first thing to check,

Then do a leak test, basically, read the meter including red digits at the end, then leave for four hours or overnight with no water using devices on (no dishwasher, washing machine, flushing etc) then before you use water check again, see if the read has changed, if it has do the same thing with the internal stop tap turned off.

This will diagnose if you have a leak on the supply, if its internal (i.e stops when stop tap is off) you need to check toilet overflow, leaky taps etc, or get a plumber, if its before the stop tap, phone your water company, they usually come out, fix and give a leakage allowance.

HTH x

Welshwoofs

deanos wrote: »

estimated bills ?

leak ?

shared supply ?

They're not estimated bills, no. This latest bill and the one before state 'actual reading'. The meter reading on this latest one is correct - I've been out to check it. It's also not a shared supply; there's a cover for the next door neighbour's right next to mine. I've opened theirs and they are not on a meter.

mart.vader wrote: »

See if your meter is moving when you are not using any water. i.e. no washing machine running. No one has just flushed a toilet.

If it's still moving, then you have a leak somewhere.

RonniesMummy wrote: »

Then do a leak test, basically, read the meter including red digits at the end, then leave for four hours or overnight with no water using devices on (no dishwasher, washing machine, flushing etc) then before you use water check again, see if the read has changed, if it has do the same thing with the internal stop tap turned off.

This will diagnose if you have a leak on the supply, if its internal (i.e stops when stop tap is off) you need to check toilet overflow, leaky taps etc, or get a plumber, if its before the stop tap, phone your water company, they usually come out, fix and give a leakage allowance.

Ahh great ideas! I can do that overnight then and see what's going on. Now to find the internal stop-!!!! (I'm that useless woman whose skills on anything that's not electronic just about run to changing a lightbulb.)

Thank you all!


ETA: Is there supposed to be water in the meter hole by the way? When I opened up the cover there was a big polystyrene 'plug' and the meter was sitting below that in about 8 inches of water. When I opened my neighbours cover, who are not on a meter, their hole thing was totally dry.

Swipe

Welshwoofs wrote: »

ETA: Is there supposed to be water in the meter hole by the way? When I opened up the cover there was a big polystyrene 'plug' and the meter was sitting below that in about 8 inches of water. When I opened my neighbours cover, who are not on a meter, their hole thing was totally dry.

That's good news then, it should be dry if your neighbour's is (unless it has rained heavily). If you do have a leak by the meter it will be the water company's responsibility to fix it. Give them a ring and get them to come out.

mart.vader

Welshwoofs wrote: »

ETA: Is there supposed to be water in the meter hole by the way? When I opened up the cover there was a big polystyrene 'plug' and the meter was sitting below that in about 8 inches of water. When I opened my neighbours cover, who are not on a meter, their hole thing was totally dry.

It's not anything to initially worry about. The water may be rainwater that has collected - it may be draining out of your neighbours meter hole, but not from yours. If its still there after a dry spell, then ask the Water co to check it out. or if you bail it out and it returns immediately, it may be a leak from somewhere on the water co. side. It only matters (to you) if it's coming from the pipe after your meter.

The polystyrene plug is frost protection.

edit: Hmm, cross-posted with Swipe, but one meter hole can let rain-water out of the bottom, while another might not.

Swipe

mart.vader wrote: »

It only matters (to you) if it's coming from the pipe after your meter.

It mostly likely is if the OP's bill has doubled. Get them out anyway. It won't cost you anything for an assessment.

mart.vader

Swipe wrote: »

It mostly likely is if the OP's bill has doubled. Get them out anyway. It won't cost you anything for an assessment.

Wow, you're quick !