Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

andyb190

Silly me, I'd forgotten that my son, andyb190, had posted on this site on my behalf. And there was me thinking that Severn Trent had finally gone 'public' with this tariff instead of it being mentioned 'God knows where, if anywhere at all'! I'm still trying to get them to put this information on the bills they send out. Anyway, I've now got Severn Trent 'sorted'. I found out about this tariff when I rang up to request a water-meter (the only way that Severn Trent let you know about the tariff) incidentally. Unless you are lucky enough to be informed by someone who knows. Wish I'd been informed by someone in the know-I would have saved over £500 from when the tariff was introduced!

So, my water-rates are now capped at just over £200 per year, a lot better than the £351 per year I was paying!!!! If you live alone, a water-meter is probably gonna work out cheaper for you anyway, and if they can't install a meter, as in the flats where I live, then you'll qualify for the sole-occupier tariff. So if you pay more than £200 per year water-rates, e-mail your water company and request your water-meter. Good luck

grabagrannie

I have just found out (from an Anglian Water adviser) that I could have been saving money by going onto their SoLow tariff, as I use less than 75m³ p.a. Why wasn't I told this before? I asked. It's in the bumf that you get with every bill, he said. I had a look at said bumf. The tariffs are there, it's true, but you need a calculator and O-level maths to work out that the break-even point is 75m³ p.a. At first site, the SoLow tariff looks a lot dearer (£1.8336 per m³ for water, £2.81 per m³ for sewerage) than standard (£1.4469 per m³ and £1.5804 per m³), but there is no standing charge with SoLow, which is why it can work out cheaper. SoWhy can't they tell you that in the bumf?

rich05uk

markmas wrote: »

It says in the article that having a water meter may effect your house price when you sell your house. However, in my experience when i moved house last August I was told by the water company that I had to have a water metter fitted.

Apparently, they say, anyone moving into a house now must have a water meter fitted - This was Southern Water, but they said it was a nationwide regulation that this should happen.

So, if that is true, then it should not effect your house price.

I’m so pleased to see the impact on house prices by fitting a water meter has at least been mentioned by MSE members. I would never buy a house with a water meter and I know I’m not alone.

A very good friend and colleague of mine has had trouble over the past 2 years trying to sell his home, it’s a 5 bedroom house but following a divorce approximately 6 years ago, they ended up living there on their own, so as the sole occupier they decided to get a water meter fitted to reduce their water bill. Having decided to move 2 years ago they put their house on the market, they had many offers on their house and on 7 occasions the buyer pulled out at the last minute, one of these was as late as the day before completion. When each of the 7 potential purchasers of the house were questioned as to why they decided to pull out of the purchase, 6 of them said it was because they had discovered the house was fitted with a water meter!!! My friend did eventually sell their house but only after lowering the selling price by just over 20%, a huge loss which would take years to recoup (or in their case a life time) from savings made by having a water meter fitted in the first place.

Obviously it depends on where in the UK you live and what your local water company’s policy is on compulsory meters being fitted but my recommendation to anyone considering having a water meter fitted to reduce their water bill should be to move to a house with fewer bedrooms instead. Think if it like this, when you come to sell a house with a large number of bedrooms they will generally attract buyers with large families and if that family has as many people as your house has bedrooms they will not benefit from having a water meter and so they will be tempted instead to buy the house next door, the one without a water meter fitted. If you are living alone or as a couple and want to save money, why are you living in a house with a lot of bedrooms, just move, down size and don’t get a water meter fitted.

Remember if there are as many people living at the property as there are bedrooms, you will most likely be worse off by having a water meter fitted and who is likely to buy a 4 or 5 bedroom house, a large family of 4 or 5 people, that’s who. Sorry for the rant but it really annoys me how water meters are always pushed as being a real money saver on MSE, it really isn’t in the long run when you eventually come to sell your home, one day you will, even if it’s through inheritance after you have sadly passed away and when the time comes, you (or whoever inherits your house) will lose tens of thousands from your house price, don’t do it.

Cardew

rich05uk wrote: »

I’m so pleased to see the impact on house prices by fitting a water meter has at least been mentioned by MSE members. I would never buy a house with a water meter and I know I’m not alone.

Welcome to the forum.

Firstly, as you are aware, on change of occupant, companies can insist on a meter - indeed should insist. Some companies have not bothered to enforce that regulation, but there are signs that more companies are fitting meters.

Secondly you appear to have ignored the Rateable Value(RV) which is the biggest factor in the decision whether to fit a meter. You seem to base your 'theory' on the premise that all large houses have a low RV.

My unmetered charge would be £1,540 pa, I pay around £450 for 3 people on a meter, and we use about average consumption.

To suggest moving to a smaller house, that has no meter, seems a little extreme. For a start the cost of moving house in solicitors fees, stamp duty and removal expense will normally cost many £thousands.

It also means you are restricted to getting a house that was built at least 23 years ago.

I find it very difficult also to believe that a water meter was the cause of buyers pulling out and selling the house for 20% less. Even if a five bed house was on sale for a low £200k that is a £40,000 reduction because of a water meter?

I doubt there are many cases where the 'large family of 4 or 5 people' you suggest, would pay more than a couple of hundred pounds more with a meter and in many cases with a 5 bed house a meter would be cheaper.

I do appreciate that there can be very large old houses with low RV. Perhaps you can give actual examples with area and RV?

However IMO there are far more important factors than a water meter to be considered when buying a house.

phsci

Cardew wrote: »

Firstly, as you are aware, on change of occupant, companies can insist on a meter - indeed should insist. Some companies have not bothered to enforce that regulation, but there are signs that more companies are fitting meters.

Apologies, Cardew, if this seems a bit pedantic; I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post. The power to levy charges is given to water companies by the Water Industry Act 1991, section 142, and the power to insist on a change to a meter on change of occupier is set out in section 144B sub section 2 (b). So, it is an act of parliament rather than regulations made by the minister that govern this matter, and the companies have been given a power rather than an obligation. The companies that have not chosen to insist on metering in this way therefore are not being derelict in their duties in this respect. The Environment Agency and The Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT) support metering and presumably would like all companies to take this opportunity, but it clearly suits some companies not to bother. Perhaps they take the view that the company would not benefit sufficiently to justify the initial installation cost and the ongoing obligation to read the meters.

audidudi

Hi, just to let you folks know... When I first moved into my flat, Anglian Water came to survey for a meter but said I couldn't have one as the plumbing in my flat is all over the place. My landlord can't make the changes as it would mean a lot of work for him and a lot of disruption as well. So, after reading this article on MSE, I called Anglian Water back, explained the situation, they looked back and saw that I'd had a survey done etc etc, I then asked if I could have an assessed water bill and they agreed, subsequently slashing my bill from £470 a year to £210!

So please, thank you for this advice MSE and I urge anyone on else who lives on their own, or a couple to either have a meter installed or ask for an assessed bill because I'm sure everyone can save a few quid. It might not not be so effective for families as they will use a lot more water than us singletons, but maybe worth looking into anyway, every pound saved is a bonus.

Thank you all!

Cardew

audidudi wrote: »

I urge anyone on else who lives on their own, or a couple to either have a meter installed or ask for an assessed bill

Welcome to the forum.

Just to clarify for new readers, you cannot 'ask for an assessed bill' without firstly applying for a meter.

It is only if a meter cannot be fitted that you can elect for an assessed bill. It should be offered - but that isn't always the case.

loopdaloop

Hi,
Please give me some advice.

I moved into a flat and rang up to register with the water company however someone had already given them my details (I'm guessing the landlord) however, because they already had my details I couldn't change aspects of it which were wrong (As they said it was against data protection) and they wouldn't let me pay my bill or give me any information about my bill (as it was against data protection) even though they have my personal information... (Which they won't tell me how they got it due to data protection)

So... I sent an email etc to the them to complain and they apologised and asked me to send them a copy of my council tax bill to prove to them who I am.

Which I did.

Yet, they won't let me know if they got it
or talk to me about my bill
as it is against data protection. (apparently)

I think this is bonkers... as I'm gradually building up a big bill that I'm not going to be able to pay all at once!

What are my rights?

Please help.

magicterry

Has anyone had experience of the organisation "Smartsource Water" who claim to reduce your water bills by 10% or give one month / year free. This seems to be too good to be true. They take over paying your bills which they do not show you, and make a charge which is fixed monthly for 4 years. We have been with them for 11 months and have managed to get copies of bills directly from the water company, and I am carefully checking whether we are benefitting. I suspect in fact we will be paying more, not less.

maisietoo

Hello, I need some advice please. My water company are South East Water. Our bill is assessed based on 1. A consumption charge based on a fixed charge for a residential property and 2. A Thames Water Volume charge.
We are assessed as a 3 bedroom house whereas we only have 2 bedrooms. We also use a septic tank and rainwater butts i.e. not connected to the main drainage system.
I have asked South East Water for an amended bill and refund/rebate.
Their e-mail to me says they need to confirm our water supply internally and externally, to fully determine if we can have an external meter fitted to the property. Upon confirmation of this survey they will be able to either fit an eternal meter or apply us on a 2 Bed Assessed Charge. They therefore request that we apply for a water meter for this survey to be carried out.
I don't want to apply for a water meter as I think we'd have to pay more if we had a water meter. Who do I need to go to to get them to assess our water bill correctly?
Thanks in advance.