Just found out we have a METER!!

chillipepper_3

We (2 of us) moved into a new rented flat 3 months ago and I was wondering why I haven't heard from the water board when the better half produces a letter from Thames water saying they read the meter 3 months ago, 23m3.

Never had one of these before and am concerned, read the meter we now have 76m3, so 53m3 used. can anyone tell me what the likely cost of this will be, approx will do. Many thanks.

squeaky

My local water supplier, which admittedly are not the cheapest, charge approximately £1.00 per cubic meter of water IN... and then charge another £2.00 per cubic meter OUT as sewage disposal.

There are threads all over the place about cheapest suppliers and even more about how to check for leeks, how much a dripping tap costs :eek: and how to be careful about water use.

And there'll be some real experts along any minute now to give you chapter and verse

chillipepper_3

Therefore 53m3 x £1 in & £2 out = 53x3=£159

£159 for three months. OMG. This can't be right????????????????

squeaky

Sadly it could be close! Maybe someone who has the same supplier as you can say how much your lot charge - as I say, mine aren't cheap...

Robert5988

Go on line and see what the tariff is for Thames water.

According to the Water Boards the average consumption for 2 people is approx 0.3 m3 per day; for 3 months approx 27 m3. So you are using double the average if the meter readings are correct.

Time for a little investigation into why your consumption is so high??

YorkshireBoy

squeaky wrote:

There are threads all over the place about cheapest suppliers...

As far as I know you can't "choose" your water supplier, can you?

Up here in Yorkshire, my last (metered) quarterly bill for a family of 5 was for...

Water
(a) Usage......................... 59m3
(b) Std Charge (water)........ £5.62
(c) Vol charge/m3............... £0.942
(d) Water cost................... £55.58 [a x c]
Sewage
(e) Sewage vol...................56m3 [a x 95%]
(f) Std charge (sewage)...... £0.29
(g) Vol charge (sewage)...... £0.978
(h) Sewage cost................ £54.82 [e x g]
Surface Water
(i) Surface water charge..... £7.28
====================================
Total cost........................ £123.59 [b + d + f + h + i]
====================================

withabix

The majority of water companies currently charge about £1 in (supply)and £1 out (sewage) if you take into account the standing charges.

Thames Water reckon for two people that your bill would be about £201-£285 per year. United Utilities are similar, for example.

I manage construction sites in the water industry, carrying out new construction, upgrades, extension works and refurbishment of the water and sewer infrastructure. Believe me, you shouldn't blame the water companies for the size of the bills and the % annual increases. When privatised, they inherited from the government an infrastructure that was generally over 100 years old and treatment works which had little investment for the previous 30 years. Subsequent action from the DWI, EA and SEPA means that the water companies have to carry out massive investment programmes.

If you saw for yourself the treatment processes which water and sewage go through, you would understand and accept that you should pay for the volume of water you use. It is the only fair way of doing it.

uncle_buck_3

iainkirk wrote:

...Believe me, you shouldn't blame the water companies for the size of the bills and the % annual increases. When privatised, they inherited from the government an infrastructure that was generally over 100 years old and treatment works which had little investment for the previous 30 years. Subsequent action from the DWI, EA and SEPA means that the water companies have to carry out massive investment programmes.

If you saw for yourself the treatment processes which water and sewage go through, you would understand and accept that you should pay for the volume of water you use. It is the only fair way of doing it.

Well there lies the problem....
The Government should not have been allowed to sell off the water companies, they should be state owned along with the Electric &
Gas & the transports system!

We pay enough tax in this country without having to monitor every drop of water we use.... we live on an island surrounded by the stuff!

All of the utilities should be brought back under state ownership & the bills should be next to nothing (say £10 a week for Gas & Electric for every home regardless of size) & before anyone pipes up & says well where would the money come from to maintain the services...well the country seems to spend enough money keeping asylum seekers & paying out on legal aid so that they can fight their case!

Robert5988

uncle_buck wrote:

Well there lies the problem....
The Government should not have been allowed to sell off the water companies, they should be state owned along with the Electric &
Gas & the transports system!


All of the utilities should be brought back under state ownership & the bills should be next to nothing (say £10 a week for Gas & Electric for every home regardless of size) & before anyone pipes up & says well where would the money come from to maintain the services...well the country seems to spend enough money keeping asylum seekers & paying out on legal aid so that they can fight their case!

Sounds just like the system the Soviet Union used to have!

How about all food, drink, housing, clothing nationalised as well - Utopia!

roger56

Do a simple leak check if you can:

Turn off all taps and water using items in the flat (ideally turn off the internal stop !!!!). Now check the meter and see if the red dial is moving round (slowly or fast).
If it is, you've probably got a leak.
I recently had a meter fitted to a new build flat and found I was using around 3cu meters a day (around 660gallons). Turned out the supply was leaking and eventually the developer had to completely replace the water pipe. I kept the water company informed by letter and didn't have to pay for the 200+ cu mtrs of water wasted.

chillipepper_3

Thanks for all replies, will take advice and check online as well as the leak check. I hope we do have a leak as I am puzzled to see how we are using that much water by 2 showers a day, 2 washing machine loads per week and washing the pots daily!