Can you beat this unfair increase?

Paulscarbs

Two years ago I was paying an unmetered bill of around £1300.

Last year it went up by around £400.

This year, it has increased by another £200.

Can anyone beat this increase?

The water company responsible is South West Water, owned by the Pennine Group.

According the Ofwat, we are expecting another three years of price hikes!

There are many petitions, forums and groups opposing the ‘fat-cat’ bonuses and dividends while we pay for the underinvestment and loan interest payments via our increased bills.

QrizB

... an unmetered bill ..

There's where you're going wrong.

Unmetered bills have been increasing by more than metered bills, on the basisnthat the few remaining unmetered properties are high-volume water users.

Get yourself a meter. If you're an "average" water user there's a good chance it'll halve your bill.

IOWJJBTM2025

In order to help I looked at the average water use per person and they estimate 139 litres per day.

I then looked up Household of 4 daily use is 450 litres per day = 164 cubic meters per year.

• Anticipate that there are differences in consumption for households:-
• Number of people in the house.
• People who work from home.
• People who prefer Baths to Showers.
• People who water the garden.
• People who have a pressure washer and wash the car frequently.
• Fish ponds / swimming pools.

Trying to estimate water usage if you do not have a meter is not easy.

We are a family of 4 and have an additional guest stay most weekends. Our water consumption averages at 280 litres per day. Last year we had a 50% increase in costs and we are due another 8% rise on 1st April.

We all have showers every day and very rarely use a hose pipe for anything.

Our last bill for 6 months water was £400.

As per QrizB - you do have scope to reduce your water bill by going onto a meter (providing you can have a water meter fitted. However to make savings you may have to change how you use water. Just little things like leaving a tap running while you are cleaning your teeth.

As for doing something about increasing water costs - unfortunately we just have to grin and bear it. At least with the water meter you can limit the amount of water. On rateable value you can use as much water as you want but have no control over the bill.

gmje

I am on a meter and use less than 40 cubic mtrs a year. my annual bill is now over £300. Twice what it was. what shocked me was if I take a nice big bath- for a long soak-it costing me £7.50-£8.00 each bathtime. disgusting……….we shouldn't have to grin and bear it when the fat cats have had all their bonuses

greyteam1959

£7.50 - £8.00 for one bath ??

Don't be ridiculous !!

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81903956#Comment_81903956

Nothing to do with "fatcats" and everything to do with decades of under investment.

Water averages around £4.20 per cubic meter in the UK (potable and waste combined), the average bath is 80 litres, so there is no way a bath is costing you £8.00 per bath.

badmemory

Over the 2 years yours 46% mine 45.1%. I have daily 30 minute showers plus my very short ones to put up with. Eventually they will force everyone onto meters & then the meter rates will go shooting up & mine will be astronomical. It is what it is.

Ms_Chocaholic

30 minute showers - woah! What do you do in there.

We're on a meter here and pay approx £250 a year

badmemory

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81904081#Comment_81904081

DS has some issues - 30 minute showers seem to improve things for him. I have tried to get him to shorten them - it really wasn't worth it.

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81904128#Comment_81904128

I didn't realise, I thought it was you. You can buy shower heads that reduce water consumption, might that help? Sorry I don't know exactly what they're caused.

ETA: Just googled - water saving shower heads they're called, never used one so unsure what they'll be like.

Here's a link https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/blog/mira-recommends/eco-shower-heads-buying-guide

badmemory

That is definitely worth a look, thanks. I'm just so used to it now I never really thought, if you see what I mean.