Three or four baths a week?

I used to love baths and had one every day. Then I got an inflammatory arthritic condition affecting my knees and ankles and I just could not get down into the bath, so had to make do with showers. By the time the arthritis cleared up - which took about 8 months - I’d completely gone off baths. I find now I just can’t be bothered, especially now we've had a really good shower fitted.

At the time my FIL shouted at me for using too much water they were living in a house worth half a million quid, renting out another house and renovating a third.

his total assets were well in excess of a million pounds.

he was just a dick. Some people are,

I hear you about the showers! I think most teenagers seem to go through this, though. Also, I was always grateful, because there are some teenagers who are a bit reluctant.....

I was once in a relationship with somebody whose mother insisted that you only needed an inch of bath water and policed it too. As a result he was the same and I found it really stressful if I wanted a bath as he didn’t have a shower and I’d have to have a wash in what was effectively a puddle. I have never denied my children baths. I did used to get annoyed with my daughter having 40 minute showers though. She doesn’t do it now she’s paying her own bills!

Well wrap it up how you like - but expensive baths are not a right in less well off households and people who don’t track and understand their energy costs are more likely to struggle financially than those who don’t and educating children about finances is actually an important part of growing up - neglectful if you don’t bother with some aspects of financial management because it’s just the gas

I've no comprehension of why you would spend money on a massive bath to be only used every 2-3 months. YABVU

But that's a perfectly normal part of growing up and teenage years. My stepson wants money for haircuts, hanging out with friends, PS games, he prefers branded smellies and clothes, he is in expensive sports (when you add up all the travel and kit over the year).... but as a parent / stepparent I'd never tell him he couldn't have a bloody bath. The only issue I'd have is if others needed to use that bathroom during the time (e.g. baths for littles) then 2hrs is excessive.

We pay toward most things and others he does extra chores for extra pocket money... but certainly not to contribute to the gas bill.

They don't sound particularly broke to me

Well, if she's a teenager, I suspect she does want other stuff. I would say that's normal.
The OP shouldn't have had a new bathroom installed with an extra large bath if they couldn't fund it's usage.

I bet it’s not “all she wants”
I bet she wants other stuff - money for clothes and make up or lifts to places
nothing wrong with long baths provided they don’t disrupt the family and they can cope with the 600 or 700 a year it costs

sometimes it’s these little things that make the difference between a household feeling broke and flush

Oh, that was my experience, until I went to university. One bath a week, maximum, only to be filled 1/4 of the way up! No relaxing!
This poor girl, all she wants is a relaxing bath.

I don’t think it’s weird to have a lovely big bath and only use it occasionally.

Neither do I tbh.

If it's to be treated as a luxury & used accordingly then that should apply to everyone.

It's not as if it's the only method of washing!

Nah my FIL was exactly like this.

i still remember the time he shouted at me for “using too much water in the bath”

This has to be a Mumsnet AI generated one...nobody would deny a child a bath

Oh come on. I'm a stepmother to two girls (brought them up myself though, their mother lives in another country). Never in a million years would i have told them how often they could bath. MN isn't down on stepmothers, but meanness.

Is she 16 by any chance? My 16 year old daughter has a shower and a bath every.single.day. At daft hours as well. She never used to until she hit 16!!! Let the girl bath lol! It’s a simple pleasure in life and she could be doing a LOT worse!!!

If it's not a power shower then it's not strong enough

I hate measly showers

Never thought of that but great point!

if OP is at the stage of counting her SD’s bath and calculating the cost, I’m willing to guess this will be the tip of the iceberg!!

A bath is honestly my favourite leisure activity. Bubbles, can of Diet Coke, Kindle, phone - I can stay in there for hours. This week I’ve been off sick three days with a rotten cold and a hot steamy bath has saved my life.

Of all the things to moan about!

If she’s using the bath in ‘your’ bathroom surely you can use the toilet and apparently perfectly adequate shower in her en-suite during that time if you need to?

Ungrateful ? I don’t think children need to be grateful for their homes. Is this something you would say about your own child ?

I have a bath every day, I don’t have a shower installed. Many people in social housing don’t have a shower. It’s definitely not a frivolous luxury.

I don’t think it’s weird to have a lovely big bath and only use it occasionally. I’m very much a shower person, but we do have a lovely bath for the rare occasions that we fancy one. If we’ve room in the bathroom for a shower and a bath, why wouldn’t we have one??

But back to the original question- I actually don’t think it’s any cheaper to have a shower than a bath nowadays. Power showers use a lot of water. If I put the plug in when I had a shower it would be a decent amount of water, easily enough to have a bath in..

I think you are being a bit harsh. Shes using it for its intended purpose, although I've always thought the designers of these gargantuan baths need to have a word with themselves. Totally impractical and wasteful of water as you are finding out to your cost. Is there room in her ensuite for a standard size bath maybe?