Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion
Options
Comments
-
MSE_Kelvin wrote: »Hello Katecooks,
We're doing a section on cutting water bills for next week's Money Tips Email as bills will be going up from 1 April, and we're looking for examples of people who have saved money by switching to a meter - do you have any sort of idea how much money you've saved per month or year?
Thanks for your time and help,
MSE Kelvin
From her profile Katecooks doesnt appear to have contributed to the forum since March 2018.
The saving by getting a water meter can be more dependant on the Rateable Value(RV) of the property than the amount of water used.
I am in Severn Trent's area. Had I remained paying charges based on my RV I would have been paying £1,624pa. With two people in my house with average consumption(110 m3) includingSurface Water Drainage(SWD) charges I would be paying £392pa - actually I use a little less than average water consumption so pay about £340pa.
It is worth pointing out that the RV valuation of properties is farcial. For a start most RV valuations in England and Wales took place in 1973 for properties built before that date; or up to April 1990 for properties build after 1973. In April 1990 RV ceased to exist and water meters became mandatory for new properties.
The RV valuation is nothing to do with the value of a property or Council Tax bands. It was based on the notional rental value the property could command. Location, state of modernisation, and several other factors as well as size affected the RV. It is possible for large mansionswith grounds that were virtually derelict when last assessed to have a 'peppercorn' RV lower than a small estate semi. Who would want to rent a derelict mansion? Since the last valuation these mansions could have been completely modernised and are worth £millions but still retain their low RV for water charges.0 -
I would ask them to check for leaks too, I think they'll sometimes offer one free repair and a refund of the the money they'd charge you. I wouldn't just cancel your charges yourself but get in touch with them, they can sometimes freeze your account until you get sorted?0
-
paul_agnew wrote: »ive been fighting united utilities since 2014 as they said ide be better having a meter put in as being single it will be cheaper so had meter put in in 2010 as ide had one before when living in n.wales and was paying £192 that was up to 2004 before i bought this 3 bed house then in cheshire i did not think it would be any dearer as im out to work 10 hrs a day and only have one shower 2 machine washers a week 3 toilet flushers a day 3 bowls of water that it so my bill has gone up from £284 in 2014 to £532 2015 £609 2016 £512 2- £649 2018 im paying more then any one in my area even familys with 3 and 4 people living in the same houses as my friend who lives up the road from me theres 3 of them and there only paying just over 345 pound now theyve come out united utilities looked at everthing i was doing and agree that seems a lot of water for one person they want 80 pound if i want them to take the meter out to check it working properly any ideas any one as goner block payment soon until they sort it out
I would ask them to check for leaks too, I think they'll sometimes offer one free repair and a refund of the the money they'd charge you. I wouldn't just cancel your charges yourself but get in touch with them, they can sometimes freeze your account until you get sorted?0 -
Just wanted to share my experience of moving to a water meter - which was a positive one.
Firstly though as a side note, I was surprised to see the part about house prices. Iv'e not known anyone to really care if a meter is present or not, and everyone has always aimed to get one anyway. So i wouldn't expect any difference there.
But anyway onto my main point.
I bought my first house circa 2 years ago. a smallish 2 bed terrace. I knew from the moment I viewed it that as a single occupant I would be wanting a water meter as soon as I moved in, what I did not expect however was quite how insanely high the fixed price would be(for the 2 months I had it before meter was fitted)
The figure I was using to budget was that my parents paid(metered) £50/m for 4 people in a large 5 bedroom house with a generous garden that get watered regularly. Thinking this will easily cover the fixed price Initially - I was wrong. Even with the breakdown on the bill stating that I was in the cheapest band and a small property so my bill was 'low' the figure was £80/m !
So I went along with my plan to get a meter, they sent someone around to asses within 48h. Needed some minor plumbing work doing before they could get a meter fitted.
Note that that is one thing that wasn't mentioned in the article either. You may need plumbing work doing !
However this was only £75, a saving I could make back in just over a month(see my current price soon)
Again water company were fast, I just had to call them when it was done and they sent someone out(within 48h again) to fit the meter. The 2 month delay was finding a plumber willing to do such a small job.
The meter automatically feeds back readings, so I never need to submit anything or have anyone come to read it. They immediately put me on an estimated £25/m usage - with plans to re-asses after my usage became apparent.
couple of months later they called me - checked my usage. Reduced my bill to £14/m refunded the £22 extra I have payed the previous two months.
Been paying £14/m since. Down from £80...0 -
My partner and I believe in saving our money now, so we don't have to scrimp in our old age - although by then this saving will be so ingrained that we will probably still be doing it !
This is how we make the most of our water during the summer months. When we have had a bath (which we share because we have no shower) we throw in our dirty washing and leave it to soak overnight, the following morning wring out the clothes and put them on a short,quick wash settting. Next siphon the water out of the bath and into water buts for watering the gardening.
I have to admit that this would be easier if we lived in a bungalow but its good to think we are saving money and we will have a beautiful garden in the summer months0 -
Moving to the house with the meter was one of the most financially expensive mistakes I have ever done.
We are a family of 4 with 2 small toddlers. The dishwasher and the washing machine are used many times a day.
Wish we have checked the meter was there.
We are paying x3 more than in our previous place that gad no meter.0 -
I bought my house brand new 16 years ago and we had no choice regarding a water meter as it was mandatory to fit them to new builds.
There are only two of us in the house and we had the bath removed about 5 years ago when we had our bathroom completely renovated. I also changed our downstairs toilet for one with a cistern that uses less water. As for washing the car, we just take it up the local garage and jetwash it. In short, our annual water bill averages £240 a year.
Last year, our local water company swapped out our meter for a smart meter, i.e. one that can be read from a van at the side of the road. At the end of the day, I'm not complaining, my Wife and I pay for the water we use. I realise this won't sit well with families who use a lot of water, but it really is only fair that people pay for the water they use, and this is what a meter will do, ensure people pay for what they are using.0 -
Just googled 'check for water leak', plenty of self-help there.
I'd look on the water companies websites.
Just checked my house mains stopcock....cant turn it, tut!0 -
We (family of four) have started leaving our bath water in and using it to refill the toilet cistern after we flush, it means we get a couple of days a week where all our flushes are 'free'.
It seems silly to let bath water down the drain but then use clean drinking water to flush our toilet and only takes an extra minute or two in the bathroom.
Is there any reason why we shouldn't do this? It seems almost too easy for a biggish saving.Debt Free: 01/01/20200 -
We (family of four) have started leaving our bath water in and using it to refill the toilet cistern after we flush, it means we get a couple of days a week where all our flushes are 'free'.
It seems silly to let bath water down the drain but then use clean drinking water to flush our toilet and only takes an extra minute or two in the bathroom.
Is there any reason why we shouldn't do this? It seems almost too easy for a biggish saving.
The term for this is 'Grey Water' and some people have elaborate systems to reuse water from baths, washing machine, dishwasher etc0
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards