How do I calculate what my water bill would be?

mrochester

Hi all

In the absence of simply being able to ask what the amount is, how do I go about working out what a water bill would be for a property?

I know the rateable value is 59.90p per £ of rateable value.

I know the property is in band F for council tax, which is a value of £120,000 - £160,000 in 1991.

Does anyone know if it's possible to work out (roughly) the value of the bill from this? The rateable value for sewerage is 63.01p per £ of rateable value.

Many thanks

M.

27col

Get a meter fitted.Then you know exactly what you water bill will be. It will be a hell of a lot less than paying via the rateable value. Unless you happen to have as many kids as the Old lady who lived in a shoe.
When we changed to a meter our bill dropped to less than a third of what it had been previously. Approx £550 down to £130.

Cardew

Council Tax has absolutely no bearing on your Rateable Value.(RV)


You can find out your RV only from your water company(nobody else uses it)


If your RV is, say, £200 you will pay 200 x 59.9p = £119.80 for water plus 200 x 63.01 = £126.02 for sewerage.


You don't say your company but there are usually fixed charges and charges for Surface Water Drainage(SWD)


I would take issue with post #2 above. Only with RV charging will you know 'exactly' how much your annual bill will cost. With a meter it will(obviously) depend on how much water you use.


I do wish people wouldn't post their own experiences on getting a meter as definitive. Whilst there are large savings to be made in obtaining a meter for many people, there were so many anomalies in the assessment of RV that this can still be a cheaper option than metering even for a small family. The last Ofwat figure I saw was that around 60% of people would benefit from getting a meter.


It is pertinent to add that you may have no option but to have a meter fitted. Under the Water Act companies are empowered to compulsorily fit a meter on change of account holder, this also applies to a tenant on a lease of more than 6 months.


Not all companies enforced this provision in the past, but it appears this position is changing.


If you post your company, RV, and how many in the family, we can give you a good estimate if a meter will be better.

mrochester

The company is Northumbria Water, but I don't know what the RV is as it's a property I'm looking to buy. It sounds increasingly like I should just wait and ask the vendor on my next viewing! I was just trying to get an idea of the running costs now. There'll be 2 people living in the property.

Cardew

mrochester wrote: »

I know the rateable value is 59.90p per £ of rateable value.


Does anyone know if it's possible to work out (roughly) the value of the bill from this? The rateable value for sewerage is 63.01p per £ of rateable value.

Many thanks

M.

You missed a rather important extra charge.


For water you pay:

A fixed charge of £98.50+59.90p per £ of rateable value
Non-domestic properties built or substantially altered* after 1 April 1990 have no rateable value and charges are calculated using the business rate valuation. The rate per pound figure shown above is therefore adjusted to charge 5.67p per £ of business rate value plus the standard fixed charge of £98.50.
For sewerage you pay:

A fixed charge of £129.10**+63.01p per £ of rateable value

https://www.nwl.co.uk/business/tariffs-and-charges.aspx


Just ring Northumbrian water and ask for the RV of the property.

mrochester

I know there's a fixed charge but I already know what that is!

macman

mrochester wrote: »

The company is Northumbria Water, but I don't know what the RV is as it's a property I'm looking to buy. It sounds increasingly like I should just wait and ask the vendor on my next viewing! I was just trying to get an idea of the running costs now. There'll be 2 people living in the property.

Ring NW, give the address and ask. This is not confidential information.
But, as above, you may find that NW meter a new occupier anyway, so I'd ask what their policy is.
It may already be metered.
If not metered, and no requirement to meter on new occupation, then it's a no-brainer. Fit a meter and revert to RV billing within the 1st 12m if no cheaper.

EmmyLou30

As a guide I would say 2 of you would be paying less than £30 a month on a meter for both water and sewage unless you're incredibly wasteful! Less people than bedrooms - definitely go on a meter. If you like the knowledge you can flush away as much as you like for a set fee, then stay on RV.

mrochester

After another viewing I have established the water bill is £472 a year, so just shy of £40pm. Certainly a lot less than I was expecting for a house its size.