Thames Water Bill - Help Please

AsifM068

Good morning forum

Any advice is welcome please. My latest TW bill indicates an increased water usage of 361% on the previous billing period. Accordingly TW have stated in their bill that my DD will now be £144.00 p/m when I was previously paying £18.00 p/m.

I am a single person living in a one bedroom flat in a block of 6 flats and cannot in all sincerity account for the increase in water usage as stated by TW. 

My water meter is under lock and key in a communal cupboard and I have no way of accessing my meter to provide a reading as I have explained to TW.

My usage figures are as follows base upon 'actual' meter reads taken by TW.

19 May 2025

907

Actual

99,000

18 Nov 2024

808

Actual

21,000

24 May 2024

787

Actual

24,000

11 Sep 2023

763

Actual

17,000

4 Apr 2023

746

Actual

23,000

21 Sep 2022

723

Actual

18,000

MEASURED IN ‘CUPS OF TEA’

SEP 2023 – 2024 = 375

MAY 2024 – NOV 2024 = 472

NOV 2024 – MAY 2025 = 2176 (UP 361%)

Direct debit was previously £18.00 p/m for billing period 25 May 2024 to 18th NOV 2024

Thames Water have now increased my DD to £144.00 p/m for billing period 19th Nov 2024 to 19th MAY 2025 

Having rang TW, they essentially told me it is what it is and that I have to pay the new DD.

This new DD amount will essentially leave me destitute, so I need urgent advice please.

Many Thanks

Robin9

it might be worth doing the checks in How much water do you use — MoneySavingExpert Forum

There has to be a reason why you consumer so much water in the last period.

You must get access to that cupboard so can carry out the checks as above.  

MattMattMattUK

AsifM068 said:

Good morning forum

Any advice is welcome please. My latest TW bill indicates an increased water usage of 361% on the previous billing period. Accordingly TW have stated in their bill that my DD will now be £144.00 p/m when I was previously paying £18.00 p/m.

I am a single person living in a one bedroom flat in a block of 6 flats and cannot in all sincerity account for the increase in water usage as stated by TW. 

My water meter is under lock and key in a communal cupboard and I have no way of accessing my meter to provide a reading as I have explained to TW.

My usage figures are as follows base upon 'actual' meter reads taken by TW.

19 May 2025

907

Actual

99,000

18 Nov 2024

808

Actual

21,000

24 May 2024

787

Actual

24,000

11 Sep 2023

763

Actual

17,000

4 Apr 2023

746

Actual

23,000

21 Sep 2022

723

Actual

18,000

MEASURED IN ‘CUPS OF TEA’

SEP 2023 – 2024 = 375

MAY 2024 – NOV 2024 = 472

NOV 2024 – MAY 2025 = 2176 (UP 361%)

Direct debit was previously £18.00 p/m for billing period 25 May 2024 to 18th NOV 2024

Thames Water have now increased my DD to £144.00 p/m for billing period 19th Nov 2024 to 19th MAY 2025 

Having rang TW, they essentially told me it is what it is and that I have to pay the new DD.

This new DD amount will essentially leave me destitute, so I need urgent advice please.

Many Thanks

You either have a substantial leak or the meter was read incorrectly. The first thing to check is your meter, you need to obtain access and the freeholder should not be blocking access to meters. Usually they are in a cupboard or behind a door that uses one of the FB keys, you can buy those from Amazon for a pound.

mmmmikey

As someone who had never heard of FB keys until a few weeks ago, for info FB = Fire Brigade and there are standard locks and keys that are used to semi-secure this kind of equipment whilst providing access to the emergency services, etc. There are a few different ones and AFAIK the most common is the FB2 key and is the one that worked for me to get access to the meters cupboard in a friend's flat. But you can also buy sets of 6 keys of different types for very little (just search for FB key on Amamzon). Hopefully this will work for you.

As @MattMattMattUK says the first thing you need to do is get access to the meter so you can start to check things out. It's perfectly possible that the meter has been read wrong and it's also perfectly possible that the pipe that goes from the meter to your flat has an undetected leak into a void below the building. 

QrizB

The increase in consumption is about 80 cubic metres, which is about 280 litres a day. That's not a huge amount (it's about as much as my 3-and-a-half person household uses) and could be explained by a badly-dripping tap or leaking toilet cistern.

If it turns out that the meter reading is correct, these are the sorta of things to look for.

AsifM068

mmmmikey said:

As someone who had never heard of FB keys until a few weeks ago, for info FB = Fire Brigade and there are standard locks and keys that are used to semi-secure this kind of equipment whilst providing access to the emergency services, etc. There are a few different ones and AFAIK the most common is the FB2 key and is the one that worked for me to get access to the meters cupboard in a friend's flat. But you can also buy sets of 6 keys of different types for very little (just search for FB key on Amamzon). Hopefully this will work for you.

As @MattMattMattUK says the first thing you need to do is get access to the meter so you can start to check things out. It's perfectly possible that the meter has been read wrong and it's also perfectly possible that the pipe that goes from the meter to your flat has an undetected leak into a void below the building. 

I have puchased these off Amazon - will look for the FB2 key - thanks so much.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BGQMH87M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

mmmmikey

AsifM068 said:

mmmmikey said:

As someone who had never heard of FB keys until a few weeks ago, for info FB = Fire Brigade and there are standard locks and keys that are used to semi-secure this kind of equipment whilst providing access to the emergency services, etc. There are a few different ones and AFAIK the most common is the FB2 key and is the one that worked for me to get access to the meters cupboard in a friend's flat. But you can also buy sets of 6 keys of different types for very little (just search for FB key on Amamzon). Hopefully this will work for you.

As @MattMattMattUK says the first thing you need to do is get access to the meter so you can start to check things out. It's perfectly possible that the meter has been read wrong and it's also perfectly possible that the pipe that goes from the meter to your flat has an undetected leak into a void below the building. 

I have puchased these off Amazon - will look for the FB2 key - thanks so much.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BGQMH87M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Hi - two of the longer keys in your set have 3 prongs - FB2 is one of those 2. Good luck, let us know how you get on

AsifM068

Just a thought - will I get 'done' by my Housing Association for accessing the meter cupboard - how else am I suppose to take a reading??!!

I live in a 3 floor block of flats and there are 2 cupboards on the ground floor; so I am hoping that my water meter lives in there. I know one of the cupboard's contains the electrics for the lift as I saw the lift engineer accessing the cupboard. I have looked outside the block and...nada.

FB keys coming later today / tomorrow then will go full Columbo!

AsifM068

mmmmikey said:

AsifM068 said:

mmmmikey said:

As someone who had never heard of FB keys until a few weeks ago, for info FB = Fire Brigade and there are standard locks and keys that are used to semi-secure this kind of equipment whilst providing access to the emergency services, etc. There are a few different ones and AFAIK the most common is the FB2 key and is the one that worked for me to get access to the meters cupboard in a friend's flat. But you can also buy sets of 6 keys of different types for very little (just search for FB key on Amamzon). Hopefully this will work for you.

As @MattMattMattUK says the first thing you need to do is get access to the meter so you can start to check things out. It's perfectly possible that the meter has been read wrong and it's also perfectly possible that the pipe that goes from the meter to your flat has an undetected leak into a void below the building. 

I have puchased these off Amazon - will look for the FB2 key - thanks so much.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BGQMH87M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Hi - two of the longer keys in your set have 3 prongs - FB2 is one of those 2. Good luck, let us know how you get on

Thank you friend - never heard of an FB key before posting - who knew?! I do now👍😊

la531983

AsifM068 said:

Just a thought - will I get 'done' by my Housing Association for accessing the meter cupboard - how else am I suppose to take a reading??!!

Well if nobody knows....

In any case have you actually asked them to come and read it for you?

AsifM068

mmmmikey said:

As someone who had never heard of FB keys until a few weeks ago, for info FB = Fire Brigade and there are standard locks and keys that are used to semi-secure this kind of equipment whilst providing access to the emergency services, etc. There are a few different ones and AFAIK the most common is the FB2 key and is the one that worked for me to get access to the meters cupboard in a friend's flat. But you can also buy sets of 6 keys of different types for very little (just search for FB key on Amamzon). Hopefully this will work for you.

As @MattMattMattUK says the first thing you need to do is get access to the meter so you can start to check things out. It's perfectly possible that the meter has been read wrong and it's also perfectly possible that the pipe that goes from the meter to your flat has an undetected leak into a void below the building. 

The pipe that goes from the meter to the flat; is that the HA's or Thames Water responsibility?