Water bill

Just me and DH £24.50 pm with Welsh Water at mo, although I expect it to go up. We're on a meter and run off water for other uses while waiting for it to heat up. I also use eco programmes on washing machine and dishwasher, so pretty frugal!

I don’t understand how you just know your water bill will increase on a meter, in a single person household. Do you have a hot tub that you refill daily? I work with water companies, and you’d be a very rare specimen to be paying more on a meter as a single person.

You can request a meter online

I pay £32pm, single and use 140l water which apparently is bang on average (NW)

My combined water and sewerage is £2000 with UU.
3 bed small semi

We live in Cornwall family of 2 adults, 2 children under 6 in a 3 bed house.

Previous property was 4 bed unable to have a meter as shared access so on rateable value bills and, 3 years ago, we were paying £700 a year. Now, with a meter, it’s less than £400 a year but we are classed as low users.

United utilities have been pushing cemergist stuff here. Including doorstep visits to try and get people to have it fitted.
This means money from the bills is going to this other company. The gizmo? Has a life span of less than ten years. And the study they base it's value on us based on a small survey over 6 weeks with probably more hawthorn effect than you'd dream of.they claim it reduces heating costs too.

Then last week UU dug the road up in half a dozen places and left a leak running for four days.

I'm with United Utilities in Cheshire. Small band B 3 bed semi and two of us here all day. Bills were £60 a month but last year we got put onto a two year trial to monitor our water usage to try and persuade us to switch to a meter at the end of it if it turns out cheaper.
We don't use much, very quick showers, the odd bath, no dishwasher and 2-3 quick laundry washes a week. Half my garden is pots though and last summer I rarely used the hosepipe because the weather was so awful. In a dry summer I would use more if the water butts run out.
We are paying £22 an month. We should get the comparison next month but it will definitely be cheaper.

Council tax was brought in,in 1993,, before that it was rateable value how much the local government deemed your property was worth. It can be challenged and changed, but you need to be aware, the council might increase the amount payable.

TW all need to be burnt at the stake. I've had dreadful customer service, utterly useless communicators and complete inconsistency.

I didn't want a water meter, they insisted
It wasn't switched over (good) to actually working
I needed it moving for building work and had to pay for a survey to say it could be moved (okay and then we moved it)
They want to QUOTE ME to reinstall it (hahaha no)

Really bizarre I keep missing their calls nowadays

I definitely don't want one. Despite being a single person household I know my bill will increase a lot.

It's something to do with how houses were valued in the 90s. You can't change it or challenge it.

Ours is 2.5 bed small detached, £1000! In the NW.

We're Severn Trent and paying £750 for a 2 bed off meter. Does anyone understand how the rateable value is calculated?

we are on a reduced tariff due to low income and pay £38 a month (flat rate for usage), dread to think how much it’ll be on a normal tariff as don’t think I’ll be eligible next year 😞. Gas and electric £220 a month.

We pay £280 every 6 months with Wessex. 3 people in a 4 bed terrace.

We live in Devon

3 bed end terrace

4 people

550ish a year

Were on a meter

you can apply online with Severn Trent through your online account (assuming you log in via the new portal).

I would say it’s interesting the variations across the midlands with Severn Trent as ours is 712 for the year (up from 500ish) and we’re end terrace with 3 adults and 1 child

We're in Dorset, there are only the 2 of us, on a meter and VERY careful with water. We currently pay £12.50 a month.

I save rainwater and run off to flush the loo, and we're very very cautious with usage.
We still pay around £40 a month (SW water)- two adults.

I'm with Severn Trent, in the Midlands, in a small semi with one adult living alone. My bill has gone from £650 to £899 for the year which is over 38% increase and strikes me as absolutely outrageous for a year. My opposite neighbour in an almost identical house has been charged £520 for the year and is also outraged that that's a 30% increase on the previous year, but I can't see how they can justify charging me so much more. I need to go on a meter, but it's impossible to get through on the phone.

My bill is £770 this year , 3 bed semi, 4 people, no water meter,and I thought that was bad enough as its gone up £13 a month. £1600 is ridiculously expensive

Sounds like you might have a leak somewhere, I'd keep on at the water company and take half hourly readings especially when you aren't using any water.

Have you already checked if its going up when everything is switched off?

How does that work? If you aren't on a meter you pay based on your rateable value, they aren't making individual decisions or assumptions

We’re in Devon, we are a family of 4 on a water meter (sadly). Our bill is ridiculous. I don’t consider us to be ‘high’ water consumers as there’s no swimming pool in our garden or anything. We do all keep clean, one washing load a day, one dishwasher cycle, no car washing, no gardening, nothing crazy… And yes, I’ve checked for leaks.
The problem with these threads is that there are always people from all over the country telling you that’s ridiculous, I pay £3 a year and have 10 baths a day! But unless they’re with SWW, there’s no comparison!
We used to live in Somerset and paid £50 a month for an unmetered 4 bed house. We knew it would be more in Devon, but were still shocked to now have to pay £130 on a meter.