A SEMI WITH 2 ADULTS

DIXYDEAN

ST list a semi detached with NO water meter and 2 adults as £442.51 per year - my bill is £627.51 per year for 2 adults in a semi. I have asked the company why and of course no reply . Is this reasonable and what are others paying please? We are not heavy users of water. Thank you  

JGB1955

Un-metered water bills are based on the rateable value of the property.  If you were to switch to a water meter your bills would probably go down to less than £35 per month.

MikeJXE

So if you are not on a meter your water rates are based on the Rateable value of the property 

Green_hopeful

If you don’t have a water meter your water and sewage is charged on the rateable value of your house historically. It was set in 1990. It’s not based on the type of house you have. It’s a bit like council tax. If you don’t use a lot of water you are nearly always better off having your actual water usage measured and charged on a water meter. https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-account/help-when-you-need-it/help-with-understanding-your-bill/billing-by-rateable-value/ There is advice here. We are in a different area to you but we pay about £30 per month for three of us on a water meter. You could ask for a water meter. 

MattMattMattUK

You can calculate your estimated costs on a meter using the link below, it will almost certainly be cheaper than rates.

https://www.ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/water-meter-calculator/

matelodave

I have a water meter and our consumption works out at £35 a month, if we were on RV billing it would be over £60 a month just for the standing charge plus the rateable value charge - dunno what that would be but I suspect at least another £5-£10 a month

We wash the cars, caravan and have a garden watering system.

When we first moved here 14 years ago our water bill drop by 60% as soon as we got a meter fitted - in fact it was the first thing we did.

Dexter_9571

Speaking with two neighbours we have found that our bills vary greatly. We are all pensioners with two people in each house, two three bed and one two bed semi's, all with similar unmetered usage. I spoke with Yorkshire Water, they told me that the charges were not based on rateable value but by a code issued by the inland revenue prior to privatisation, and that every house charge may differ. Our charges range £640/£746/£832 the fact that one is a two bedroom does not alter the amount of water used. This is grossly unfair. I intend to address this situation, somehow! I do intend to apply for a water meter, when I can manage to contact Yorkshire Water.

MattMattMattUK

Dexter_9571 said:

Speaking with two neighbours we have found that our bills vary greatly. We are all pensioners with two people in each house, two three bed and one two bed semi's, all with similar unmetered usage. I spoke with Yorkshire Water, they told me that the charges were not based on rateable value but by a code issued by the inland revenue prior to privatisation, and that every house charge may differ. Our charges range £640/£746/£832 the fact that one is a two bedroom does not alter the amount of water used. This is grossly unfair. I intend to address this situation, somehow! I do intend to apply for a water meter, when I can manage to contact Yorkshire Water.

As keeps being said on this board, the solution to high costs based on unmetered bills is to get a water meter. One would have to waste a horrific amount of water to exceed the cost of unmetered using a water meter. 

Put the request in, they will contact you.
https://www.yorkshirewater.com/get-in-touch/request-a-water-meter-call-back/?cat=watermeter

Dexter_9571

I agree with that, I am not happy that I was one of the ones who thought a water meter might cost more and we would be worried every time we turned the tap on or flushed the toilet. It appears, or so I hope, that this was one of the few occasions when I was wrong!
The request a water meter on the website was not working over the weekend, neither was the link to request a callback for other issues, it only gave the option for a call about leaks or water quality.

Dexter_9571

My original point though was that the basis for charging was grossly unfair. Whilst a meter will resolve the cost issue it does not alter the fact that we have been mischarged for over forty years.

QrizB

Dexter_9571 said:

My original point though was that the basis for charging was grossly unfair. Whilst a meter will resolve the cost issue it does not alter the fact that we have been mischarged for over forty years.

Unmetered chrges are based on the rateable value of your property. This value will be printed on your bill.

If you compare with your neighbours, you will find that you have different rateable values and different water bills as a result.