Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

Cardew

nomanfiroz wrote: »

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

Once metered you cannot revert to non-metered charging.


You need to check your consumption. The average is about 55 cubic metres per person per year.


Also check they are billing you for your meter - often water companies have Flat A paying from readings on Flat B's meter and vice versa.


Lastly, especially in converted flats, check that your meter is not supplying water to other flats or the common supply - outside tap/washroom etc.

sharpe04

I've managed to slash my metered bills by harvesting rainwater for toilet flushing. If you're handy - or just a committed bodger - and have a suitable property, run as many guttering down pipes to a large tank. Those big white ones in cages are ideal and can be bought quite cheaply, preferably build a removable box around to keep the sunlight out. Use a guttering hopper as a collector into the tank and cover its top with a plastic gauze sheet to catch debris (this will have to be cleared regularly as roofs get pretty filthy). Get a submersible pump with sufficient pressure (head) and a float cut off switch and run the water to a separate tank in the loft using 1" plastic pipe. Have a cut off float switch in that tank to stop the pump when it gets full - fit an overflow to outside just in case! Connect the loft rainwater tank to the toilet cistern supply pipes using T joints and make sure you are able to isolate both the rainwater and the normal cistern supply, so that you can't cross contaminate (which might be illegal, although should be good if your toilets are fed off the cold water tank and not direct mains - which is illegal anyway without a one way valve) and can isolate the rainwater system if it fails and revert to normal supply. If you're a real ace bodger you can provide an automatic switch over by arranging a ball valve supply from the cold water tank to the loft rainwater tank to cut in when the rainwater runs out.

You save twice here if you're on a meter because they charge for waste sewerage water pro-rata for the amount you're metered. Don't be daunted by plumbing, it's dead easy these days with plastic pipe and push fit joints.

By using rainwater for flushing toilets I pay the same for water as a 1 bedroom flat and I've got a 4 bed detached house, according to my bills, plus I feel really eco-smug.

Downsides - debris does get into the outside tank so it needs cleaning out as required, usually twice a year. Sometimes little bits of rubbish get into toilet cistern ball valves which stick and need cleaning out. So a bit of effort required, but it's worth it to save lots of money which would go to water company shareholders and their management fat cats anyway. Also the water can get a bit green in the summer, an occasional bottle of value bleach in the outside tank solves that.

If you're handy, have a go, it's an interesting eco project. You will save ££££s, like I have.:)

Cardew

sharpe04 wrote: »

So a bit of effort required, but it's worth it to save lots of money which would go to water company shareholders and their management fat cats anyway.

Just a point on the above quote.


Obviously it will save you money, but it makes not a penny difference to the water company's profits or shareholders.


Every water company has the amount of revenue they are allowed to collect strictly controlled by the Regulator(Ofwat). So if every customer adopted your system and their revenue fell by £Xmillion, they simply would be allowed to increase other charges by the same £Xmillion to compensate.


Your quote above implies that the more water used, the greater the profits of the water company. In fact the opposite is true; otherwise why would water companies give out free water saving devices e.g. bags to go in toilet cisterns etc?


Water companies are indeed set targets, with financial incentives, to reduce the amount of water used in their catchment area.


P.S.
Your scheme doesn't reduce the amount of sewerage that needs to be processed, but again given the financial set up of the companies, it doesn't matter; their revenue is assured.

alwayswrite

I don't mean to sound as if I don't care I do care what is happening to our wonderful planet but I am worried about getting a water meter on numerous counts. Firstly I am bothered in case we have a leakd and the water wastage is going through my meter and building up my costs and I wondered if there was a limit to what you would have to pay. Another thing, and only those in my age group will agree this is not a silly thought, as I am 77 years of age I had to put up with having to save on everything and doing with dull lighting is one of my gripes and all this was throughout my childhood so now even though I don't want to leave a carbon footprint I do want to as long as I can afford it not have to scrimp and save I've had enough of this. It also seems that the rest of the world are wasting left, right and centre all of our resources. Give us old 'uns a break we've done our bit you young ones can take your turn now and the best of luck and I'm not getting at young people most of them are conscious of their need to do this.

Indiewitch

Hi again, in the last 2 years our water bills are still high and our payments are getting higher. The water company said the fault is with our landlord and our landlord says its the fault of the water company. \most of our neighbours bills are getting lower - ranging from £9 a month to £40 a month. Our payments are set at £85 a month. We run 1 bath per day and its like a conveyer belt to the bathroom as we all use the same water (me, hubby, daughter and son), toilets are only flushed when necessary, 1 load of washing per day (on economy setting) and we are all out of the house between 8.30am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday. Our landlord put a pressure reducer on the internal pipe under the sink but its clearly made no difference. Our 6 month bill shows 140cubic meters used - what is normal? We have no dishwasher or hosepipe and I tend to pile all washing up in the sink then do one big wash a day. I contacted CCWater and they couldnt help me, Im at a total loss here and after all this time its really getting me down. Any ideas please. Thank you.

Terri31

i http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=oneliner-one&utm_term=11-Mar-14-v2&utm_campaign=utilities&utm_content=1#freebies

Re the above - does anyone else think this is an outrage, really - showering with hardly any water, etc etc? What have we come to where we accept this is a way to live? Penny pinching on every drop of water...

marieidat

Especially when Southern and South East Water have the highest water bills, and no freebies,

uksuzy

I just moved to Poole from Bounemouth-4miles, in Feb. I thought, as in Bm'th, when a home changed hands a meter was automatically installed if there wasn't one already. Just got my 1st bill & choked! No meter, I've asked for one, but a month till it can be installed. Till then facing over £700 bill, which is a months wages for me. The property is same rateable value as last property, which was £250approx per year on a meter, combined over 2 companies, Sebcorp & Wessex. Apparently its more expensive to be with one company. Seems nothing Wessex Water company can do if you have limited income & not on meter Yet! The water is costing me more per month than I spend on food!!

Cardew

uksuzy wrote: »

I just moved to Poole from Bounemouth-4miles, in Feb. I thought, as in Bm'th, when a home changed hands a meter was automatically installed if there wasn't one already. Just got my 1st bill & choked! No meter, I've asked for one, but a month till it can be installed. Till then facing over £700 bill, which is a months wages for me. The property is same rateable value as last property, which was £250approx per year on a meter, combined over 2 companies, Sebcorp & Wessex. Apparently its more expensive to be with one company. Seems nothing Wessex Water company can do if you have limited income & not on meter Yet! The water is costing me more per month than I spend on food!!

The £700 bill based on RV is presumably an advanced charge for the year April 2014 to 31 March 2015?


It is not necessarily more expensive with the one company - not that you have any choice in the matter! It could be cheaper, it depends on which two companies serve your property.

Kevin16

I live in Affordable Housing and have United Utilities as my water company, 2 weeks ago I first registered with United Utilities online after seeing how high my water bill was £42.58, so I rang then and asked why?
They said that my flat had to pay 'Rateable Value Tax' I never heard about it till them! So I said why are the other 3 flats not paying as much, I asked my neighbours how much they paid first, they said £18.58, but United Utilities said they could not comment on other customers bills, I said fine, why cant you lower my bill to the same level as theirs?
I was again told because you have RV, so they could not do this as the Government and City Council 'Liverpool' I should ring the Variable Tax Office and my MP? So I rang the Variable Tax Office and they told me that they have it rite? So I asked why, they said that the Variable Tax Office had binned the use of RV in the 1960 but the water companies where allowed to still use it, even though everyone else including the Variable Tax Office no longer use it and use instead the Tax Band that each person is in as this is abetter way to level the playing field.
I was surprised and asked them why United Utilities still use the RV instead of the Tax Band system? They said each company used what ever one they feel fit! I said but if you do not use it and no one else used it, why cant you as the Variable Tax Office tell them to use the same Tax Band system, he agreed but said they could do nothing until the Government and City Councils, dis the RV and make everyone use the Tax Band system.
I pay £252.23 a year and it is classed under Waste Water? Something that we take for granted when we look at our bills, as I have always lived in a flat, I just paid what my bill said and that is that! Until now...
So I pay £252.23 a year, that comes to over a 11 year period that I did not know I had RV the grand sum of £33.426.36. I was shocked to see this and to see that not only did the Housing Association not tell me nor did United Utilities!
Now I have been told that I must get a water meter? So why did they never tell me this in the 11yrs that I live in this flat? No one else has a water meter in the 4 flats, but I am forced to have one or pay this inflated water bill! I find this ridiculous that United Utilities did not tell me before! I am on disability and can hardly afford to have my water bill so high.
So to anyone out there who has not got a water meter, look closely at your bill and if you have Rateable Value Tax Charges, call your water company and get a water meter as soon as you can.
The problem seems to be in the way water companies Like United Utilities can still use this RV to make money! but other water companies use the Tax Band to bill you, I think it is about time that the Government and Local Council got to grips with this and stop it, make RV obsolete and make Water Companies like United Utilities use the Tax Band to bill their costumers.
I think everyone including Martins Money Tip should put pressure on the Governments, Councils and Water Companies to change this once and for all, what do you think, take a stand and make them change, thank you