Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

neilsolaris

Thanks for clarifying that Cardew.

If seems like a colossal charge, if they were to claim it was mainly an administration charge. I just think they are greedy, and know they can make more money this way.

For instance, there's two people who live in my flat, and one guy who lives downstairs in the other flat. Before it was converted, it would be one 4 bedroom house, with 3 people living here. With two flats, the standing charges have doubled, with no incremental usage from us! But I guess I can't do anything about it!

Cardew

neilsolaris wrote: »

Thanks for clarifying that Cardew.

I just think they are greedy, and know they can make more money this way.

Actually that is not so!

The stupidity of the Water Privatisation Act means that it doesn't matter if your Water company charged you a £1,000 standing charge or nothing.(£zero).

As a monopoly supplier, the revenue each water company can raise - and hence their profit margin - is tightly controlled by the regulator(ofwat). They have to meet targets for curtailing water leakage, laying new mains etc. to reach that profit margin.

If you and thousands of others had reduced standing charges and it cost the company, say, £100k, then they are allowed to raise that lost £100k by increasing other water charges.

They are in a win/win position, which is why their share price keeps rising and the companies are being taken over by foreign companies.

Blame Maggie!!

neilsolaris

Thanks, I can see that. I suppose I wish they had a fairer system, in that they increased their fixed and variable charges in order to cover their costs, but allowed flat owners to split the cost of the fixed cost with the other flats.

magicterry

Jimiwake wrote: »

Hi all,

I've recently signed up to a new company called Smart Source Water who offer guaranteed savings off water bills.

The theory is that they can analyse the bill to find ways of cutting it down as most water companies are overcharging through various surcharges or using incorrect rateable values.

So far so good. Has anyone else used this company or got any feedback?

After a year with SSW I realised they were charging too much and asked for a review, which resulted in a reduction from £100.02/month to £75.61. Later a statement came covering the first 14 months, and I found several missing bills which they corrected when I informed them, but they did not thank me.
On further studying our bills of which copies I obtained from the water companies, I realised we were still paying too much. SSW did not respond to my emails and phone calls on this until I cancelled our standing order and paid the next monthly payment by internet banking at what I considered the correct amount of £49.44 (with no saving ). This brought a quick response, with the monthly payments reduced to £39.35 from September 2013 to March 2016. This looks about right provided SSW honour their pledge not pass on any increases in charges by the water companies in April 2014 and 2015
In view of my experiences with the dubious accounting of SSW I recommend that if taking up an offer with them, make sure to get copies of your water bills which SSW do not provide, and check that you are actually benefitting.

magicterry

Jimiwake wrote: »

Hi all,

I've recently signed up to a new company called Smart Source Water who offer guaranteed savings off water bills.

The theory is that they can analyse the bill to find ways of cutting it down as most water companies are overcharging through various surcharges or using incorrect rateable values.

So far so good. Has anyone else used this company or got any feedback?

Their accounting seems very inaccurate, and they do not provide the actual water bills. It is advisable to get copies of bills from the water company so as to make sure you are actually benefitting.

magicterry

SmartSource Water accounting seems to be faulty, and they do not let you see the water bills, So it is adviseable to request bill copies from the water company so you can check that you are getting a fair deal.

eastberks44

They went bust today, leaving their customers to pay any unpaid water bills.

There were no real savings to be had. It was a Ponzi scheme, relying on the inflow of new customers paying 3 months up front to pay off the water bills of existing customers.

Jimiwake wrote: »

Hi all,

I've recently signed up to a new company called Smart Source Water who offer guaranteed savings off water bills.

The theory is that they can analyse the bill to find ways of cutting it down as most water companies are overcharging through various surcharges or using incorrect rateable values.

So far so good. Has anyone else used this company or got any feedback?

Sean4u

We bought a camping shower 16 months ago after we reckoned that showers cost us (family of 4, SWW prices) nearly £100 per month. Our rented home has a temperamental gas water heater in the upstairs NE corner, a bathroom in the downstairs SW corner: we were running £s of wrong-temperature water down the plughole.

I doubted it would last and the first pump handle broke after a few weeks. Hozelock replaced the pump part for free with one with a more substantial moulding - obviously a corrected design flaw. A combination of "if it's brown ..." and the hand-pumped Navy shower reduced our water bill from £150 per month to around £30 currently. A £1,500 pa bonus!

A lot of 'money saving devices' are better in the first few days / weeks than they are in the long-run, but this £20 was among the best-spent ever. It's not maintenance free. We put a folded J-cloth under ours to stop it skating around in the bath and to reduce noise. The cloth wears out costing pennies per year to replace. The pump needs lubricating, for which we drip a few drops of 'sensitive skin' moisturiser (because it ends up in the shower water) into the top every week or so. That must cost a few pennies per year too.

I'm not affiliated with Hozelock in any way, just impressed by how reliable this thing has been and how much money it has saved me.

Robin_Davies

15 years ago I saved £240 in one year by having a water meter installed and ended up on BBC local radio talking about it. Martin's 'rule of thumb' is absolutely right UNLESS you have teenage girls living in the house ... their water consumption can be enormous!

nomanfiroz

Hi there,
I moved in to my flat in Jan-10, never knew the flat had water meter fitted. The first bill came as £29 per month and I was happy as that was in line with my neighbour. After 6 months the bill came as £39 and I was worried and then after 2 months they sent me a new notification that I needed to pay £49 per month which I am still paying.

My 1 year old daughter, my wife and I live in the 2 bed rooms flat when my other neighbouring flats have minimum 4 people. I am 3 days per week out of the town because of job. They pay £29 when I pay £49.

I found it ridiculous. Could anybody kindly suggest me how to go back to average water bill from metered?

Many thanks in advance