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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think they’re having a laugh charging this

115 replies

FlyingSoap · 22/07/2024 21:03

We have recently bought a 3 bed semi with no water meter. Fixed yearly price of £582.47.
They have (somehow) worked out that although we missed the first 3 months of the year, we will be paying £62 a month for water. I think this is stupidly high for a 3 bedroom house, 2 adults and a baby. They aren’t budging on the price & saying we’ll have to just request they instal a water meter.

AIBU thinking it’s high?

OP posts:
Partyatno10 · 23/07/2024 20:41

We pay £55-60 per month Thames water. 3 bed house on a meter. Been on a meter for about 2 years and it's About £10 a month more expensive on a meter for us

lovemycbf · 23/07/2024 20:25

My bill is approximately £319 every 6 months

neighboursmustliveon · 23/07/2024 20:19

We pay less than £40 on a meter. 2 adults and two almost adults. We don’t have many baths though but at least 4 showers a day, often more.

Xmasbaby11 · 23/07/2024 20:16

Sounds really cheap - we pay £120 a month for 4 in a 4 bed house!

PaleSunshineOfHope · 23/07/2024 20:04

I have a meter and get a bill every six months, paid about £230 last year.

Butwhybecause · 23/07/2024 19:52

PosingPosture20 · 23/07/2024 19:45

Whether that's 'high' each month or not is irrelevant. It depends on how many months the bill is being paid over.

If the annual fixed charge is £582.47 and you moved in 3 months after the start of the bill period then you should pay 9/12 of the annual bill, which is about £436.

If your payments of £62 a month are due July - January then that's exactly right, you're paying 9/12 of the annual bill amount. If you think that's too high then yes, your only option is to look at a meter.

What exactly is it you think is incorrect op? What will you pay over the year, to end of March? That's the only figure that matters.

I thought Council tax and Water Rates were over ten months, not twelve?

Metered water charges are over twelve months.

PosingPosture20 · 23/07/2024 19:45

Whether that's 'high' each month or not is irrelevant. It depends on how many months the bill is being paid over.

If the annual fixed charge is £582.47 and you moved in 3 months after the start of the bill period then you should pay 9/12 of the annual bill, which is about £436.

If your payments of £62 a month are due July - January then that's exactly right, you're paying 9/12 of the annual bill amount. If you think that's too high then yes, your only option is to look at a meter.

What exactly is it you think is incorrect op? What will you pay over the year, to end of March? That's the only figure that matters.

Nw22 · 23/07/2024 19:43

We were paying 65 for 2 adults no meter in 4 bed house. Moved and paying 35 with meter

TookTheBook · 23/07/2024 19:40

We can't have a water meter installed. We pay £56.50 per month. Probably less than we actually use to be honest - family of 4. Also 3 bedroom house. So YABU unfortunately.

Butwhybecause · 23/07/2024 19:39

Ours is far higher than that (we are detached though)
It goes on the Council tax valuation of your house.

You could have a shock if you opt for a water meter, best check it all out first.

SquishySweets · 23/07/2024 19:37

@1974devon Northumbrian Water

MMUmum · 23/07/2024 19:36

Northumbrian Water, 3 bed £51 per month x

1974devon · 23/07/2024 19:03

SquishySweets · 22/07/2024 21:18

We pay £29 a month on a water meter for a family of 5 in a three bedroom house

Wow where is that? I'm.sw and paying 70 for one adult one teen
I have queried.it as we don't use excessive water...

easylikeasundaymorn · 23/07/2024 18:55

what do you mean you 'missed' the first 3 months of the year? As in you only moved in this month but they are charging you from April?
Or you moved in a few months ago but haven't been paying so need to catch up?
The original fixed £582.47 p/y works out as about £48 per month which sounds very reasonable. If they are saying it's £62 because you missed the first few payments then that makes sense and it will go back to £48 next year.
If they've put the amount up and haven't said why then yes you can query this, because it works out as quite a big difference (about £160 more)

but if you're that bothered, why not just get a meter?

venus7 · 23/07/2024 18:53

LittleRedHen77 · 22/07/2024 21:24

This is so true. I think our water bills are cheaper than any mentioned here but I'd pay three times as much if they guaranteed no more sewage being dumped into the sea, it's so depressing.

Show quote history

The trouble is, the increased payments would go to shareholders, not into improving standards/cleanliness/the environment.

FreddieMercurysCat · 23/07/2024 18:48

We pay £59 a month non-metered. 2 bed semi, ex LA, Council tax band B house, NW England.

Waterbaby41 · 23/07/2024 18:43

Just get a meter, it will be cheaper for you. And no water company will negotiate on charges.

SanMarzano · 23/07/2024 18:42

Definitely get a meter. We pay £20 a month for two adults in a 2 bedroom house (Thames Water). At first they said we couldn’t have a meter but we pushed and they managed to install one.

wooo69 · 23/07/2024 18:27

poshfrock · 22/07/2024 22:07

Wow ! I can't believe how cheap these all are! I pay £92 per month for 2 adults. No meter. We don't have a dishwasher and only do about 4 loads per week in the washing machine. I think I need to ask about a meter. Our supplier is Yorkshire Water.

We are Yorkshire Water too, have a meter, two adults. We both have daily showers, I have a bath about once a week, DH sometimes has two showers in a day. On average we do 4 loads of washing a week, I often use a 20° wash which is 44 minutes. We don’t have a dishwasher, wash up as we go. Both at home all day, most days so loo flushing regularly. We pay £17 a month.

CantFindMyMarbles · 23/07/2024 18:26

Get a water meter

MrsScarecrow · 23/07/2024 18:18

Don't you pay water rates over 10 months not 12? So therefore their quote is about right.

Sammie233 · 23/07/2024 18:00

I pay £29 a month in London - 2 bedrooms

Village48 · 23/07/2024 17:49

You can ask for a fair usage rate as it’s just 2 adults. Friends of mine have recently done this as the water company couldn’t install a meter. Their annual bill was reduced by £200 also a 3 bed semi. So now around £400 pa.

PeterPedant · 23/07/2024 09:57

They have (somehow) worked out that although we missed the first 3 months of the year, we will be paying £62 a month for water

For how many months?

Everywhere I've lived, water & sewage charge has been paid for 8 months/year, so the monthly payment is the total for the year (or proportion of the year you live there) divided by 8. If you've moved in part-way through a year they might have spread it across fewer months so you're paying in the same months as everyone else.

So, say your annual charge is £582 but you're only there for 9 months of that year, your annual charge becomes £436.50. if you missed the first usual payment month, that might be averaged across 7 months, i.e. £62/month.