Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

We saved an absolute fortune when we switched to a water meter (with 4 adults in the home). Don't understand why people are so against them. I do make more effort to save water, but still water the garden in the summer. I remember the times of standpipes in the street when there was a severe drought. If everyone was a bit more thoughtful about water use, we'll never have shortages again. My gas bill also went down a bit when I switched to water metering - as we heated less water. No-one should go without a shower (please note all you who travel to work by tube - I'm fed up of the unwashed), but cut down the time you stand there doing nothing!

Katecooks wrote: »

Insist they check your meter and for leaks too. I find it works out cheaper (there are 4 adults living in my house), so it should be much much less for a single person. You really need to sort this and should be able to get a refund too.

Many people will save by getting a meter. However a sizeable percentage will pay more on a meter.

This is because the Rateable Value(RV) is very low on some properties.

badmemory wrote: »

I find water companies very interesting. They actually charge less for something which actually costs THEM more. If you are charged on your RV they just send out the bill & you cough up. If you have a meter they need the meter to be read at whatever frequency & then a bill calculated based on that & sent out at whatever frequency is set - rather than just once a year. This means that when they get most people off the RV charges, then the bills are actually going to be higher as they will cost more to produce. They will have to be because there is no way they are going to tolerate a reduction in profits.

I think most water companies produce 2 bills a year for metered customers and sometimes estimate consumption for one of those bills.

However it really doesn't matter to the water companies if it costs more - or less - if customers get a meter. This is because the amount of revenue the companies can raise is strictly controlled by the Regulator(ofwat) and the level of profit is also controlled.

So if, say, 100,000 households get a meter and pay, say, £100pa less in charges they will recoup that loss of £10 million in revenue by raising other charges slightly; their profit is not affected.

Hi Martin,
A good article, I fail to see why a vital utility is in the hands of private business and I speak as someone who has been looking into this issue for over two years.
Regarding savings, as a Council tenant I paid through the Council's ALMO and, for nine years, paid around £550 per annum. Now metered and the bills last full year came to £164.
12% of the money collected with rent stays with the Council, in contravention of Water Orders and the basis of calculation is Rateable value from 1970, a basis that was never suitable or equitable. It's likely that 3000 tenants in Southend on Sea are paying more than they should.
Ofwat will not support this and sit on the fence.
Regarding calculators offered by the water companies, these are likely to overestimate the cost. If you go to meter, the first account will be inflated, if you then go to DD charge will be based on that inflated account.
Reading periods are constantly bucked, if you want to stick to bi-annual (May and November) you will need to send your own reading.
Sewerage is based on 90% of the water supplied, however in Essex the standing charge is high due to 'low population', in other words the company has insufficient infrastructure and they charge customers for that !
This issue is a minefield, note the following :- Alan, Southend Water Action Group.