Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

threeamigos

My neighbour told me on fri. that whenever a property is now sold that the Land Registery informs the water comp. mine being Thames Water and they can fit a water meter without the new owner asking for it or wanting it.

moneysavingmonkey85

I have only recently moved into a new build flat. I received a bill today for £160. is this too much for a tiny 1 bed flat for period feb-june 09? its says its metered, but I don't know how to check what we've used as its outside under a heavy drain cover. also, it is split like the shays_mum said - half to south staffs and half to severn trent...i am confused.

please help

moneysavingmonkey85

anyone? bumpity bump

pkempc

I used to pay my metered Thames Water bill by direct debit every month like a good boy until they decided to up my monthly amount by 162% from £ 26 to £ 42 in Aug 2005 for no good reason other than to ensure I didn't underpay. There is no discount for paying monthly ( as per other utilities ) so I told them to cancel the direct debit and I would pay their 6 monthly bills in arrears thanks all the same - thus I earn interest on the money up until the moment I pay the bill by electronic bank transfer.

Now I can pay my Thames Water bill using a cashback credit card through their website and still pay 6 months in arrears + then get 50'ish days interest free to settle my credit card bill & for no extra fees or charges.:beer:

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/UK/regi...nload_0012 77

Oh and all my metered bills since Aug 2005 have worked out at as follows:-

Jul 05 - Dec 05 - £ 119.16 ( £ 23.83 )
Dec 05 - Jun 06 - £ 127.05 ( £ 21.18 )
Jun 06 - Jan 07 - £ 158.95 ( £ 26.49 )
Jan 07 - July 07 - £ 160.95 ( £ 26.83 )
Jul 07 - Jan 08 - £ 151.33 ( £ 25.22 )
Jan 08 - Jul 08 £ 157.11 ( £ 26.19 )
Jul 08 - Dec 08 - £136.46 ( £ 27.29 )

Latest Bill - Dec 08-Jun 09 - £173.62 ( £ 28.94)

Thus, if you don't regularly check your bills, would have meant Thames Water earning interest on over £ 835 of total monthly overpayments!:eek:

Cardew

pkempc wrote: »

I used to pay my metered Thames Water bill by direct debit every month like a good boy until they decided to up my monthly amount by 162% from £ 26 to £ 42 in Aug 2005 for no good reason other than to ensure I didn't underpay. There is no discount for paying monthly ( as per other utilities ) so I told them to cancel the direct debit and I would pay their 6 monthly bills in arrears thanks all the same - thus I earn interest on the money up until the moment I pay the bill by electronic bank transfer.

Now I can pay my Thames Water bill using a cashback credit card through their website and still pay 6 months in arrears + then get 50'ish days interest free to settle my credit card bill & for no extra fees or charges.:beer:

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/UK/regi...nload_0012 77

Oh and all my metered bills since Aug 2005 have worked out at as follows:-

Jul 05 - Dec 05 - £ 119.16 ( £ 23.83 )
Dec 05 - Jun 06 - £ 127.05 ( £ 21.18 )
Jun 06 - Jan 07 - £ 158.95 ( £ 26.49 )
Jan 07 - July 07 - £ 160.95 ( £ 26.83 )
Jul 07 - Jan 08 - £ 151.33 ( £ 25.22 )
Jan 08 - Jul 08 £ 157.11 ( £ 26.19 )
Jul 08 - Dec 08 - £136.46 ( £ 27.29 )

Latest Bill - Dec 08-Jun 09 - £173.62 ( £ 28.94)

Thus, if you don't regularly check your bills, would have meant Thames Water earning interest on over £ 835 of total monthly overpayments!:eek:

How do you manage to pay your Thames water bills 6 months in arrears? All of their other metered customers pay their bills 6 months in advance if not on DD.

All water companies raise bills for the year ahead. e.g. They produce bills in April 2009 for the year April 01 2009 to 31 March 2010. You have to pay 6 months in April 2009 and the remainder in October 2009.

Unless you have some special arrangement you lose out in interest slightly paying 6 monthly.

pkempc

Cardew wrote: »

How do you manage to pay your Thames water bills 6 months in arrears? All of their other metered customers pay their bills 6 months in advance if not on DD.

All water companies raise bills for the year ahead. e.g. They produce bills in April 2009 for the year April 01 2009 to 31 March 2010. You have to pay 6 months in April 2009 and the remainder in October 2009.

Unless you have some special arrangement you lose out in interest slightly paying 6 monthly.

I'm pretty sure that all utility companies bill their domestic customers in arrears either quarterly or 6 monthly. If you choose to spread your payments & pay every month by Direct Debit then most companies will give you a % discount off your bill - but not Thames Water.

All I know is the Thames Water meter reader came round a couple of weeks ago to read all the meters in this area & a week later my 6 month ( 19 Dec- 22 Jun ) bill arrived.
This does seems logical to me - ie only paying for what water my household ( 2 adults, 1child ) have actually used/passed instead of your idea that Thames Water guestimate what we might use 6 months in advance - with the all the admin burden of correcting their bills when ( not if ) they get it wrong - QED?:doh:

Cardew

pkempc wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that all utility companies bill their domestic customers in arrears either quarterly or 6 monthly. If you choose to spread your payments & pay every month by Direct Debit then most companies will give you a % discount off your bill - but not Thames Water.

All I know is the Thames Water meter reader came round a couple of weeks ago to read all the meters in this area & a week later my 6 month ( 19 Dec- 22 Jun ) bill arrived.
This does seems logical to me - ie only paying for what water my household ( 2 adults, 1child ) have actually used/passed instead of your idea that Thames Water guestimate what we might use 6 months in advance - with the all the admin burden of correcting their bills when ( not if ) they get it wrong - QED?:doh:

Sorry you are correct, with paying 6 monthly.

Do any water companies give a discount for DD?

That said the amount in interest you save by paying twice a year is pretty small.

If you are paying £300 a year(2 payments of £150) as opposed to paying £25 monthly, you are saving the interest on an average balance of approx £75 - which, with present current accounts rates, will be less than £1 a year!
Not worth the trouble IMO(for me)

pkempc

Cardew wrote: »

Sorry you are correct, with paying 6 monthly.

Do any water companies give a discount for DD?

That said the amount in interest you save by paying twice a year is pretty small.

If you are paying £300 a year(2 payments of £150) as opposed to paying £25 monthly, you are saving the interest on an average balance of approx £75 - which, with present current accounts rates, will be less than £1 a year!
Not worth the trouble IMO(for me)

The main point I was trying to make is that Thames Water wanted to charge me nearly £ 200 extra every year ( £ 42 per month instead of £ 26 ) for absolutely no good reason.

Then, each year, I would have to phone their customer service dept to get my £200 overpayments refunded - possibly!

If they offered a Direct Debit discount then I would happily follow the herd & let them dip into my bank account each month.

However, what they do offer is the facility to pay online ( fee free ) using my cashback credit card on receipt of a 6 month metered bill. If you time it right you could then get a further 50 ish days to settle the credit card bill in full & pay no interest.

So you actually end up paying slightly less than metered & billed amount and you have the money sitting in your bank account earning you interest rather than you giving £200 extra to Thames Water every year as an interest free loan!

Yes it means that twice a year you have to remember to pay a bill - but that is awful lot easier than battling with customer services to get your Direct Debits adjusted & getting your overpayments refunded!:mad:

Sappho

I have successfully reduced my Water bill from £658 per year to £228 per year.
Dwr Cymru offer a little known reduction in water rates for thoses families who have disabled children, nned more water than the avarage household because of thoses disabilities and/or have three children under the age of 16.
The package is known as Welsh Water Assist.
They can be contacted on 08000520145.
Hope some of you can make good use of this service.
Sappho

lindseyvb

I have just received another revised direct debit schedule from Northumbrian Water, each year they keep putting it.

Last year I called to see why it was so expensive, as in our previous property we were paying standard rates and it was about £20 but now we are paying almost £40 a month on a meter.

Only this year when I called to see why it was so expensive did they explain how to do a self leak test ....guess what the meters been leaking for just over two years!!!!

As its a new build I called the house builder to see if they will sort it and guess what the warranty just ran out.

Northumbrian Water are coming out next week to assess where the leak is, if its Northumbrian Waters responsibility, which I doubt, they will pay.

But if its my responsibility I will have to pay, I will be out of pocket by nearly £500 in over charges and will most likely have to pay to pull up the drive to find the leaking pipe. I think a snotty letter to the builders may be called for, surely I can't be penalised for their faulty workmanship!

If you do get a water meter make sure you test it for leaks!:rotfl: