Septic Tank costings

Peanutismybabygirl

I share a septic tank with 10 neighbours, each household used to pay around £800 per year, the owner of the tank is now saying due to rising energy costs we will all need to pay £2k per year, thats £20k per year to run an electric septic tank.  I think this is excessive so would welcome any feedback

The_Unready

I have a treatment plant that I share with one other neighbour, so much smaller than yours.

For comparison, it is driven by a 24/7 60 watt pump (£100 electricity per annum?) twice yearly emptying at a total cost of £300 and an annual service contract of about £200.

zxzxzx

Owner is taking the !!!!!!. (Amongst other…)😉

Swipe

Ridiculous. At that price, if you have the space for one, I'd look into some quotes for your own separate tank and maybe share the cost with a couple of neighbours if feasible.

gm0

The big items that would drive cost on one of these are:

- basis of replacement funding at eol.  Save up.  Or pay a big bill at the time. £4k-6k each.  Or 600pa over 10 or 200pa over 30 say.

- is it a dedicated commercial supply that racked up big bills outside protection during the Ukraine war cost spike.  So it's more now.  And there are ALSO under recovered bills (which you all owe based on the deed to share the drains to recover now).

- it's actually attached to one of the houses domestic supplies and that owner has made a *mistake* in how they are allocating that across themselves their use and this communal facility. 

Clearly this thing should have an independent or at least a properly sub-metered supply so the consumption is a known fact and not an arbitrary allocation based on a guess. And it should pay its way - kWH and standing charge allocation.

- the one of 10 currently running the show (which may be arbitrary not a legal right to do it) actually wants you all to go away and disconnect and do your own thing - because they want rid of the shared drains and to lay it out differently and/or build over it. So the proposed pricing is a gambit in a broader game.

- rent seeking behaviour

- if the plant is knackered, old and gummed up, the motor/compressor may be working harder than it should be and using more kWh.  Needing attention. Or worse, triggering discussions on how soon is eol.  Even a big tank for 50 people is only about a 6A rating - 13,000 kWH device annually - even running flat out. Which they don't.  And even if it was doing that and the commercial price was £1 that's still £13k not £20k

More than one of these most likely.  If they refuse to be transparent about quotes/costs and energy bills.  And it is all made up. Then regrettably you have your answer.  And a dispute is looming.