Water billing - how does it work for a metered property?

blupur

I have recently bought a property and for the first time taking up the adult responsibilities of paying bills and whatnot. My property has a water meter fitted and the water supplier is with Thames Water. After registering an account with them, giving them the meter reading, it then takes me to the page to set up my direct debit payment where it gives me two options to choose in how often I would like to pay my bill which is: On receipt of your bill (I would receive a bill twice a year) OR Monthly where it says that I will be making regular montly payments of £20 per month. Is £20 per month considered a good price for a 1-2 person living in a property? That means I'll be paying £240 a year? I've been told that this is considered very low so it makes me wonder whether this is correct? Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

tealady

Until you have been in your home for a while the water company won't know how much your bill will be.
If you want to know what is included then I would suggest you check the company's website.
Just for info I am a ST customer. I pay an amount by DD. Bill's are sent to me regularly so I can see my usage and whether i am in debit/credit.
So it's up to you how you want to be billed. I would suggest you read your meter regularly so there are no nasty surprises.

ris2015

Thames Water are not good at meter reading. They send a meter reader once a year ( if you're lucky).
Whatever you choose as your billing frequency it will be up to you to send them meter readings otherwise they will just send estimates.

MattMattMattUK

blupur said:

I have recently bought a property and for the first time taking up the adult responsibilities of paying bills and whatnot. My property has a water meter fitted and the water supplier is with Thames Water. After registering an account with them, giving them the meter reading, it then takes me to the page to set up my direct debit payment where it gives me two options to choose in how often I would like to pay my bill which is: On receipt of your bill (I would receive a bill twice a year) OR Monthly where it says that I will be making regular montly payments of £20 per month. Is £20 per month considered a good price for a 1-2 person living in a property? That means I'll be paying £240 a year? I've been told that this is considered very low so it makes me wonder whether this is correct? Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

I live alone, I would say my water usage is fairly normal in that I shower 8-9 times a week, one bath a week, dishwasher is run twice a week, washing machine 4-5 time a week. I am also in a Thames Water area they started off billing me £20 pcm and now bill me less, on average around £16. I submit monthly meter readings, although it is a smart water meter they generate accurate usage figures for the month when I submit the reading. £20 per person should be perfectly adequate. 

blupur

MattMattMattUK said:

blupur said:

I have recently bought a property and for the first time taking up the adult responsibilities of paying bills and whatnot. My property has a water meter fitted and the water supplier is with Thames Water. After registering an account with them, giving them the meter reading, it then takes me to the page to set up my direct debit payment where it gives me two options to choose in how often I would like to pay my bill which is: On receipt of your bill (I would receive a bill twice a year) OR Monthly where it says that I will be making regular montly payments of £20 per month. Is £20 per month considered a good price for a 1-2 person living in a property? That means I'll be paying £240 a year? I've been told that this is considered very low so it makes me wonder whether this is correct? Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

I live alone, I would say my water usage is fairly normal in that I shower 8-9 times a week, one bath a week, dishwasher is run twice a week, washing machine 4-5 time a week. I am also in a Thames Water area they started off billing me £20 pcm and now bill me less, on average around £16. I submit monthly meter readings, although it is a smart water meter they generate accurate usage figures for the month when I submit the reading. £20 per person should be perfectly adequate. 

Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

pochase

Also in Thames Water region. Two people, never more than 300£ per year. That includes everything.

So you should be fine to start with £20.

Thames Water are good with billing if you give meter readings, if not they have real problems. I have not been billed for over 2 years when they did not send a meter reading or asked for a reading. I had to contact them to get a bill.  For the over 2 years the bill was £460.

blupur

When speaking to Thames Water about how I was going to be billed, they gave me this link on how you get billed if you have a water meter. But the info makes me even more confused.

It says that 'For the 2022-23 charging year, which starts on 1 April 2022, everyone who has a water meter will pay £21.05 a year for water fixed charges and £63.58 a year for wastewater charges.'

So if I'm paying £20 per month by direct debit, at what point will I be charged for the £21.05 a year for water fixed charges and £63.58 a year for wastewater charges? Confused.

Robin9

I think you missed the opening paras

"Every six months, we’ll send you a bill that covers the supply of clean water and the treatment of wastewater.

Your bill will show charges for every cubic meter (m3) of water that’s used. One cubic meter equals 1000 litres. That’s about 25 quick showers.

For each cubic meter, we charge 148.28p for water and 90.51p for wastewater. From 1 April 2022, we'll charge 154.15p for water and 94.88p for wastewater. 

Once we’ve worked out your clean water and wastewater charges, we’ll add fixed charges. These fixed charges cover some of our essential running costs, like maintaining pipes and handling enquiries.

Until 31 March 2022, everyone who has a water meter will pay £20.34 a year for water fixed charges and £65.18 a year for wastewater charges.

For the 2022-23 charging year, which starts on 1 April 2022, everyone who has a water meter will pay £21.05 a year for water fixed charges and £63.58 a year for wastewater charges."

MalMonroe

Our water bills are issued annually but as two of us live in a council property we pay our water bills in with our rent and the breakdown works out at £10 per week for water charges, so yours is half what we pay. As you say, you're only paying £240 p.a. I think that's great and am well jell.

If you have already set up your online account with Thames Water, it should tell you all about service charges, waste and clean water usage and anything else you need to know. 

Answers to questions like this : 'So if I'm paying £20 per month by direct debit, at what point will I be charged for the £21.05 a year for water fixed charges and £63.58 a year for wastewater charges? Confused.' 

But it seems as if those last two charges will be added to the annual bill and then the whole bill divided into 12 monthly payments.

I'd login to my Thames Water account and see what it says, it should have all the details you need.

I think that's a great bargain and can't believe it's such a low price in the London area. Thinking of moving!

MattMattMattUK

blupur said:

MattMattMattUK said:

blupur said:

I have recently bought a property and for the first time taking up the adult responsibilities of paying bills and whatnot. My property has a water meter fitted and the water supplier is with Thames Water. After registering an account with them, giving them the meter reading, it then takes me to the page to set up my direct debit payment where it gives me two options to choose in how often I would like to pay my bill which is: On receipt of your bill (I would receive a bill twice a year) OR Monthly where it says that I will be making regular montly payments of £20 per month. Is £20 per month considered a good price for a 1-2 person living in a property? That means I'll be paying £240 a year? I've been told that this is considered very low so it makes me wonder whether this is correct? Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

I live alone, I would say my water usage is fairly normal in that I shower 8-9 times a week, one bath a week, dishwasher is run twice a week, washing machine 4-5 time a week. I am also in a Thames Water area they started off billing me £20 pcm and now bill me less, on average around £16. I submit monthly meter readings, although it is a smart water meter they generate accurate usage figures for the month when I submit the reading. £20 per person should be perfectly adequate. 

Does this fee include service charge, waste and clean water usage?

Yes. Thames Water only bill as one bill, they do not invoice you separately for the different costs. 

Alnat1

When you move in somewhere they tend to estimate your DD on what the previous occupier used. We moved into a 4 bed detached, only 2 of us. Previous occupiers were a family of 5, 3 sons and 3 cars which we heard they washed a lot.

We started on 54 a month (Yorkshire Water don't seem to read meters often either) and were well in credit after a year. Payment went down to 24 following year, just been upped to 32 for this year which seems reasonable. We wash the car fortnightly, water the garden a bit, showers most days, odd bath now and then etc. what I'd think was 'normal'.

Unless you use a crazy amount of water I'd guess your 20 won't be far off, might go to 25 next year.