General Chat

Have read somewhere that if there are more bedrooms than people in a house change to a water meter, as this will save money.

We have a meter, and are on an assisted scheme because of both having problems which cause a lot of washing. This is dealt with by a fixed sum whatever we use. I try not to waste water, having had to carry every drop in my childhood, you know when you are wasting it!

OK. You need to run for a while to know exactly what your consumption will be as it can vary with the seasons. Also some areas of the country are a lot more expensive than others too so making comparisons is not necessarily straightforward.

As with all budget plans they will adjust it base on whether or not you are in credit or debit. I know some people object to being in credit but I would rather it be that way. Saves getting a nasty shock. You can always request a refund if you are desperate.

I can't really complain about the amount we pay compared to some area (£4 a month now) but I was complaining about the big leap from £20 to £24 a month.

No, that is the Water companies estimate which they used to work out my direct debit payments to cover everything. I was paying £36 a month based on a first estimate when the meter was put in, but after reading it my payments go down to £20 for the rest of the year and willl probably go up to £30 next year.

I have been thinking of going on a water meter
for some time now , but have been hesitant to go ahead with it as
OH has a tendency to let the water run when he's washing up (dont have a dish washer ..lol )my monthly bill is £44.22.
Hazelx

Frank, seems on the low side - have you taken the sewage charge into account? This works out at more than the actual water charge. For example, we pay around £110 for six months (metered) , a bit more in the Summer as the wife is an avid gardener, but the sewage charge adds another £130 on top of this.

Typically, a household with less than four people in the house will pay less if they have a meter. With 5 adults / teenagers in the house it is cheaper to stay rated, that is if you are able to.

We were presented in January with a rateable value based water/sewage bill of £800. That was the last straw so we went on a water meter in February. It was read last month and confirmed the estimates that our annual bill would come down to about £350. We have made no economies, just carried on as usual. Better in my pocket than theirs.

We have been on a meter for over 10 years Rose, didn't stop them putting up the bill. The main rise will be for run off water which is outside of the meter, although there was no explanation with the revised SO amounts. I should probably look back at the April letter which maybe anticipated this rise. We certainly are not using more water, in fact two months of the year we don't use any.

Gwyn I think we may be paying for the flood defences that they have had to put in after the floods two years ago.

I think I heard that many water companies will have to replace very old pipes, in the near future, so I suppose they are passing on the cost to their customers.
We live in an area which was the first in the country to have compulsory water meters, now Dover, not far away is following suit. We have a general water shortage.

....and still they want to build more houses in the south east.

Gwyn

I went on to a meter in our last house Ann, and have had one put in for when we move. It made a massive difference, my bill halved without any change in consumption, though it does make you more aware of any you 'waste' which is good :)

Has anyone else's water bills gone up this month? Ours has gone up £4 a month (almost £50 a year). OK it wont cause us too much hardship but I can imagine to some people that will be the proverbial straw.