Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

sparklydog

My water bill has just gone up from £46 a month to £53 a month according to the south west water letter i got this morning. wish they would reduce it instead off allways putting it up..

outtawork

I am living in a 2 bedroom flat, have a water meter & pay £20 per month

ploddo

We have just had a surveyor from Anglian Water to see about putting in a meter. Apparently it can't be done as we have a shared main (with the house next door but one I think). Neither can they put one in indoors as they can't access the pipework. Can somebody explain why the main can't be divided please? Surely the pipework divides off between the two properties?

Our bill is currently over £500 a year. My friends (3 people) is metered and pays about £180, my mother (3 people) pays £125.

Cardew

As they can't fit a meter you have to be offered an assessed charge.

ploddo

Cardew wrote: »

As they can't fit a meter you have to be offered an assessed charge.

Yes we have just had a letter - they have assessed 78 m3 at a cost of around £330. This is still about double the cost of my friend and my mothers bill, both have 3 adults in the homes.

Still haven't been able to find an answer to the shared main question.

Cardew

ploddo wrote: »

Our bill is currently over £500 a year. My friends (3 people) is metered and pays about £180, my mother (3 people) pays £125.

I find it very hard to believe that your mother pays £125 a year.

With Anglian the cheapest standing charge for water and sewerage is £75 - it could be £112

Water/Sewerage costs are £3.03 a cubic metre. That means that the 3 people in your mother's property use a total of 17 cubic metres a year - about 10% of the UK average of 165 to 180 cubic metres.

Of course if she doesn't have mains drainage - it is possible!

ploddo

Cardew wrote: »

I find it very hard to believe that your mother pays £125 a year.

With Anglian the cheapest standing charge for water and sewerage is £75 - it could be £112

Water/Sewerage costs are £3.03 a cubic metre. That means that the 3 people in your mother's property use a total of 17 cubic metres a year - about 10% of the UK average of 165 to 180 cubic metres.

Of course if she doesn't have mains drainage - it is possible!

She has paid £26 pm for 18 months - now paying £1 as overcharged. Standing charge for water 12/13 year is £29 and foul is £46. I checked the usage over the last 3 years and seems to be correct. The meter was tested about three months ago and is fine. She is home all day but other two are out for around 12 hours pr day. She has water butts everywhere and appliances are A rated for water and cistern is dual flush eco type.

MisterMonty

We have just received our first water metered bill for the previous 6 months and it has doubled our bill from £190 per annum to £320 per annum. We did not ask for the water meter as we are a family of 7 with 4 small children as well as an elderly relative living in a semi. We knew our water useage was high but, are unable to cut down without compromising hygiene. We already share baths etc. Do we have to remain on a water meter or can we opt out? We are with Southern Water who have cited water shortages as the reason for the compulsory installation. Can anyone advise?

ploddo

MisterMonty wrote: »

We have just received our first water metered bill for the previous 6 months and it has doubled our bill from £190 per annum to £320 per annum. We did not ask for the water meter as we are a family of 7 with 4 small children as well as an elderly relative living in a semi. We knew our water useage was high but, are unable to cut down without compromising hygiene. We already share baths etc. Do we have to remain on a water meter or can we opt out? We are with Southern Water who have cited water shortages as the reason for the compulsory installation. Can anyone advise?

their web site says:
* - If you ask us to fit a meter, and you live in an area that is subject to our metering programme this year, you will not be able to go back to an unmetered charge at a later date. This is because the government has identified our water supply area as an area of serious water stress and has given us the power to meter all of our water supply customers by 2015.

Presumably if you didn't ask for one you can change back, but can't find any info........:eek:

Cardew

ploddo wrote: »

Presumably if you didn't ask for one you can change back, but can't find any info........:eek:

I suspect not.

Since 1990 Water companies were supposed to fit meters on change of occupant, and the new occupant could not refuse.

The problem was that some companies enforced that regulation, others didn't.