Is there help for water costs for people on benefits please?

matelodave

It's not hard. Turn all the taps off, make sure all the cisterns are full and the washing machine isn't running. Then go and have a look at the meter. Most of them have black numbers indicating cubic meters, then red ones showing 1/10, 1/100ths then a couple of dials that indicate down to 1 litre and in the middle is a star shaped wheel which rotates even if there's just a trickle. Make sure the star shaped wheel isn't rotating - if it is then water is going somewhere.

You can then turn off the main stopcock and see if the wheel stops. If it does then the leak is likely to be in the house somewhere - possibly a ballcock or cistern valve letting by. If it doesn't stop then you might have a leak between the meter and the internal stopcock.

If you aren't consuming water when the taps are off then try reading the meter daily at about the same time for a couple of weeks to try and see when you are using most water - you can do a lot to reduce your consumption if you know when its being used.

Don't let the taps run when washing up or cleaning your teeth, only use as much water as you need in the kettle. Put flow restrictors on your taps & shower (usually free from the water co) and only stand in the shower for 4-5 minutes. A power shower for 5 mins can use 80-100 litres whereas a shower with a flow restrictor for 5 mins is only about 30 litres saving over 50 litres a shower.

Some water companies have a low user tariff which although costs more per cu.m, doesn't have a standing charge so you only pay for what you are using. I'm with Anglian Water and their tariff is called so-lo and should work out cheaper if you use less than 70-75cu.m a year.

savemoney

We pay for family of 3 adults £28 per monthly we currently in credit this is for a meter. Dont think there is any help although might be if your in considerable debt and or have 3 kids

http://www.water.org.uk/home/resources-and-links/paying-for-water


WaterSure for those on certain income-related benefits and who either have three children under the age of 19 in full-time education and living in the property or use a lot of water due to a medical condition.

bundance

matelodave wrote: »

It's not hard. Turn all the taps off, make sure all the cisterns are full and the washing machine isn't running. Then go and have a look at the meter. Most of them have black numbers indicating cubic meters, then red ones showing 1/10, 1/100ths then a couple of dials that indicate down to 1 litre and in the middle is a star shaped wheel which rotates even if there's just a trickle. Make sure the star shaped wheel isn't rotating - if it is then water is going somewhere.

You can then turn off the main stopcock and see if the wheel stops. If it does then the leak is likely to be in the house somewhere - possibly a ballcock or cistern valve letting by. If it doesn't stop then you might have a leak between the meter and the internal stopcock.

If you aren't consuming water when the taps are off then try reading the meter daily at about the same time for a couple of weeks to try and see when you are using most water - you can do a lot to reduce your consumption if you know when its being used.

Don't let the taps run when washing up or cleaning your teeth, only use as much water as you need in the kettle. Put flow restrictors on your taps & shower (usually free from the water co) and only stand in the shower for 4-5 minutes. A power shower for 5 mins can use 80-100 litres whereas a shower with a flow restrictor for 5 mins is only about 30 litres saving over 50 litres a shower.

Some water companies have a low user tariff which although costs more per cu.m, doesn't have a standing charge so you only pay for what you are using. I'm with Anglian Water and their tariff is called so-lo and should work out cheaper if you use less than 70-75cu.m a year.

Hi MetaloDave and a big thank you.
I will do what you said above, to carry out checks for leakages.
It's a bit dark now to check, but I will check in daylight hours tomorrow.
Thanks for all the other tips too.

bundance

savemoney wrote: »

We pay for family of 3 adults £28 per monthly we currently in credit this is for a meter. Dont think there is any help although might be if your in considerable debt and or have 3 kids

http://www.water.org.uk/home/resources-and-links/paying-for-water


WaterSure for those on certain income-related benefits and who either have three children under the age of 19 in full-time education and living in the property or use a lot of water due to a medical condition.

Hi

I take it that you don't pay sewerage charges, cos £28 a month for three adults sounds extra ordinarily cheap on a meter.
Mine's £21 for one adult, but I do pay sewerage charges.

Thanks

Thanks for linking me to watersure. I will look that up.

jackieblack

bundance wrote: »

Hi

I take it that you don't pay sewerage charges, cos £28 a month for three adults sounds extra ordinarily cheap on a meter.
Mine's £21 for one adult, but I do pay sewerage charges.

We are a household of 3 adults (including teenage daughter who takes longer in the shower than DH & I combined :wall:), on a water meter and we pay around £200 every 6 months (give or take about £10 either way), including sewerage charges, so £28 per month sounds perfectly feasible to me.

£21 per month for one person sounds like either ridiculously expensive water or usage is extraordinarily high!

jollyme

If you have a medical condition which requires you to use a lot of water maybe additional washing etc then there is help as was indicated in an earlier posting

savemoney

Yes includes sewage chargers and service water it often more than we use in water

Last quarter

Water 29.00 m³ at 125.50p £36.40
Sewerage 27.55 m³ at 154.90p £42.67
29 units x 95% = 27.55 m³

I also wash the car once a week with pressure washer although for last month unable to do as its being mended so use hose. We also have dishwasher (around 5 times a week) and washing machine (2-3 times a week) plus showers. A dishwasher doesn't use that much water

bundance wrote: »

Hi

I take it that you don't pay sewerage charges, cos £28 a month for three adults sounds extra ordinarily cheap on a meter.
Mine's £21 for one adult, but I do pay sewerage charges.

Thanks

Thanks for linking me to watersure. I will look that up.

bundance

jackieblack wrote: »

We are a household of 3 adults (including teenage daughter who takes longer in the shower than DH & I combined :wall:), on a water meter and we pay around £200 every 6 months (give or take about £10 either way), including sewerage charges, so £28 per month sounds perfectly feasible to me.

£21 per month for one person sounds like either ridiculously expensive water or usage is extraordinarily high!

Thanks for sharing your figures with me, it gives me something to compare mine with.
No, my water useage is very low.
I go out of my way to economise with it.
What should I do?
I'll do what Dave above said tomorrow, and will be back with my findings.
The meter readings are correct. I checked to day.

Thanks

bundance

savemoney wrote: »

Yes includes sewage chargers and service water it often more than we use in water

Last quarter

Water 29.00 m³ at 125.50p £36.40
Sewerage 27.55 m³ at 154.90p £42.67
29 units x 95% = 27.55 m³

I also wash the car once a week with pressure washer although for last month unable to do as its being mended so use hose. We also have dishwasher (around 5 times a week) and washing machine (2-3 times a week) plus showers. A dishwasher doesn't use that much water

Thanks also to you for sharing your figures with me.
My charges are a bit different.
Would that be why my cost seems high?

Would someone please check my figures below from the bill I received today, and tell me if the figures below, seem too much/correct for a low use single occupancy flat?

Bill

Meter Reading, by water company on 24/10/13 actual reading 154.
Previous Reading by water company on 18/4/2013 136.

Water services
Period from 19/4/3013 to 24/10/2013
Volume charge - 18 cubic metres used, at £2.17 per cubic metre. - £39.10.
Charge Standing charge - 189 days @ (annual rate £24) - £12.42
Total £51.52

Sewerage services
Period from 19/4/13 to 24/10/13
Volume Charge - 18 cu metres £1.80 per cubic metre - £32.46
Less 5% not returned to sewer £1.62 credit.
Standing charge 189 days @ (annual rate £53.00) - £27.44
Total £58.28
Grand total 109.80


Many thanks

jackieblack

It seems like a combination of higher charges and higher usage per capita.

Our bill is half yearly rather than quarterly, but we used 48 cubic meters of water (so say 24 for 3 months, for 3 people vs your 18 for 1 person) at £1.6442 per cubic metre (vs your £2.17)
Our standing charge is £13.20 for 6 months, ( =£6.60 for 3 months) so almost half what you pay.

Sewerage: We are charged £1.5804 per cubic meter, volume less 10%
Our sewerage standing charge is £41.50 for 6 months, vs £54.88 for you.

So it does seem that your usage is higher (proportionately) and your charges are also higher.
Sorry.