water meter or not?

[Deleted User]

@EachPenny
Wish my water was that cheap.
In Anglian Water, we pay
£1.5373 per m3 water
£1.6594 per m3 sewage
£29 per year water standing charge
£87 per year sewage standing charge

Cardew

gsmlnx wrote: »

@EachPenny
Wish my water was that cheap.
In Anglian Water, we pay
£1.5373 per m3 water
£1.6594 per m3 sewage
£29 per year water standing charge
£87 per year sewage standing charge

Those with South West Water would wish their charges were as cheap as yours!

£1.92 per m3 water

£3.57 per m3 sewerage

£37.48 water standing charge

£39.68 sewerage standing charge.

So a family of 4 with average consumption will pay around £1,300 a year, less £50 from the government.

teddysmum

Our neighbour had a water meter fitted a few years ago and said she saved money, but she really must scrimp on usage,as ,when we had a new lawn laid and needed the sprinkler running, she said she could tell that we weren't metered.


As quite a chunk of cost is for waste and treatment, is this still a fixed amount (based on rateable value) or is this output also measured and are people discussing cost just including the cost of provided water ?


There are just the two of us now, but if metered, I would feel obliged to be really frugal and not having to bother about usage is one blessing of unlimited broadband.

Cardew

teddysmum wrote: »

Our neighbour had a water meter fitted a few years ago and said she saved money, but she really must scrimp on usage,as ,when we had a new lawn laid and needed the sprinkler running, she said she could tell that we weren't metered.


As quite a chunk of cost is for waste and treatment, is this still a fixed amount (based on rateable value) or is this output also measured and are people discussing cost just including the cost of provided water ?


There are just the two of us now, but if metered, I would feel obliged to be really frugal and not having to bother about usage is one blessing of unlimited broadband.

If unmetered you are charged for both water and sewerage based on your Rateable Value(RV) e.g. xxxP per £1 of RV for both(unless you don't have mains drainage.)

So with your RV you can work out exactly your annual charges. You can then compare that figure with an estimate of charges for metered properties - the average for two people is 110 cubic metres(m3) pa.

Incidentally as you have a sprinkler(or swimming pool!!) you technically should not be on an unmetered tariff.

[Deleted User]

Everyone should have a water meter, particularly high users for whom an RV tariff is cheaper.

teddysmum wrote: »

As quite a chunk of cost is for waste and treatment, is this still a fixed amount (based on rateable value) or is this output also measured and are people discussing cost just including the cost of provided water ?

Sewerage volume is calculated on the basis that it's 90% of the water consumption. It is negotiable for specialised customers who have different usage patterns to a domestic user, but not without evidence.

EachPenny

gsmlnx wrote: »

@EachPenny Wish my water was that cheap. In Anglian Water, we pay...

Cardew wrote: »

Those with South West Water would wish their charges were as cheap as yours!

Well if you live in the arid flatlands of East Anglia you have to pay for them to find water from somewhere, and pay for the expensive electric pumps they need to move your sewage to where it can be treated

If you live in the South West you are paying for your lovely clean bathing water whilst Londoners are still tipping their waste into the rivers

jack_pott wrote: »

Sewerage volume is calculated on the basis that it's 90% of the water consumption. It is negotiable for specialised customers who have different usage patterns to a domestic user, but not without evidence.

The sewerage bill is also calculated to include the cost of dealing with surface water from rainfall. If your property has a drainage system which means surface water doesn't go into the public sewers then you may be able to get a rebate - but likewise you have to be able to provide evidence.

Mr.Generous

[/QUOTE] There are just the two of us now, but if metered, I would feel obliged to be really frugal and not having to bother about usage is one blessing of unlimited broadband.[/QUOTE]

I felt that way too, if the bills are high you can choose to go back to unmetered in the first 3 months. We have decided to carry on exactly as we were before the meter was fitted, so not worry about flushing the loo or washing the cars.

The only change I've made is to buy and fit (Today) a £20 water butt for watering the garden. I have felt for ages that it is absurd to use drinking water for the garden when we have a problem with too much rain most of the year, and I believe its actually better for the plants.

I'll report back when I have something definite regarding the bills. We are with United Utilities (Formally North West Water) so I'll pop on the website and look at the charges.

[Deleted User]

EachPenny wrote: »

The sewerage bill is also calculated to include the cost of dealing with surface water from rainfall. If your property has a drainage system which means surface water doesn't go into the public sewers then you may be able to get a rebate - but likewise you have to be able to provide evidence.

Yes I realise that the sewers have to drain the surface water as well as sewerage, and that that has to be paid for, but the way the bill is calculated is MW+0.9MS+C, where

M is the meter reading
W is the water rate
S is the sewerage rate, and
C is the standing charge.

In some areas the surface water goes down a combined sewer with the sewerage, which makes it even more expensive to treat.

[Deleted User]

teddysmum wrote: »

There are just the two of us now, but if metered, I would feel obliged to be really frugal and not having to bother about usage is one blessing of unlimited broadband.

Unlimited usage is not a blessing though.

Imagine how much food would cost if you just paid a flat annual subscription to Tesco, and then helped yourself to as much food as you want. It's like going Dutch in a restaurant: each individual has an incentive to order a more expensive meal than everyone else in order that they don't end up paying for more than they eat, but then everyone pays more, and the only one to benefit is the retailer.

Perhaps everyone should pay the same mortgage or rent regardless of house size too?

teddysmum

I have just been on the Severn Trent website, which reckons that even if I put in exaggerated amounts (I refuse to believe that my husband washed two cars per week every week)and put the worst scenario (eg chose hosepipe cleaning of cars, when a bucket and sponge are sometimes used ),we could save £265 which is over half.


Before finding the quiz, I spoke to a person who gave a lesser but not bad estimate and one question I asked was where the meter would fit. The reply was outside at the access point, but if not possible under the sink , though I don't fancy the latter as we are soon to have a new kitchen and I use all the space under the sink for cleaning/dishwasher supplies. (I can ask the neighbour where hers is and call ST to ask if there is a problem with outside fittings in this road.)


I hadn't realised that savings were so high, as I thought the waste cost would be a constant, with just the water being charged less as less is used.