Water company says we're using too much water

[AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings]

And I can't work out why/how to use less.

Our water usage went up at the start of lockdown- not surprising as there was now x3 of us at home, it was summer and we were potty training a toddler.

Now our water company are saying we're using too much (we've got a water meter btw and pay for what we use) and sent someone round to talk to us about water conservation.

Thing is… We're quite water conservation conscious in general. Use eco setting on dishwasher, have a wet-room type shower so save shower and bath water in buckets for flushing toilets and watering plants (used the hose maybe 10 times in total this year and that includes filling small paddling pool - water that was also reused).

I even reuse pasta and veg water for watering plants.

Dh and I shower with our toddler so we're not having x3 showers per day or anything. And about 50% of that water is saved in buckets - including the cold water run off at the start.

I use the washing machine about x5 a week.

We don't have a car to wash. No ponds or swimming pool.

They're checking if there's an error but are certain that there's not.

Does anyone have any idea how to save water when you're already doing all the obvious things?

What a weird situation! And him touching your stuff is out of line.

Washing machine 5x a week sounds excessive. We’re a family of 5 and don’t do that many loads (including when we were in reusable nappies). We’re 3 Times a week but our washing machine could be bigger than yours...

Blimey there is something about this thread that is making me laugh then get a bit angry in your behalf.

It is important to save water but the disconnect between your ‘water behaviour’ and them sending a man round to talk to you about kettles and shorter showers is just madness surely ?

There’s clearly something wrong somewhere.

Reminds me I once had an odd convo with my water company as I was about to get a water meter and was asked if I had a swimming pool. I’d already said I was in a small top floor flat at the time, and away for around 4 months every year. she was surprised and said my usage looked as though I had a pool. I ignored it, my usage was under average for my set up and always had been !

Good luck op !

Could it be that the company have targets and have contacted people to go out and try to get usage reduced, and the people are on some kind of results based commission?

That would make it all make more sense.

Actually I’ve just remembered - just before my water meter I had a man from water supplier - just remembered who put a fitting on my tap (which I had to take off immediately because my water would not run hot anymore) and put a balloon thing in my toilet cistern which had to remove because my toilet wouldn’t actually flush. I made a complaint about all of that. He started to ask me to do a survey with very personal ‘lifestyle’ qs and I flat out refused. It’s not to do with a meter being fitted is it ???

@Username7521

What a weird situation! And him touching your stuff is out of line.

Washing machine 5x a week sounds excessive. We’re a family of 5 and don’t do that many loads (including when we were in reusable nappies). We’re 3 Times a week but our washing machine could be bigger than yours...

I don't really know what to say to you there… maybe your family are cleaner than mine?

Ours includes washing x1 super king bedding set, x1 double bedding set, x2 sofa covers (removable throws because of elderly pets), towels, cleaning cloths and dish towels etc for the week, x2-3 outfit changes for child depending on what she's eaten or weed on, anything else that's covered in human or animal piss, plus mine and DH's clothes. Which are normally covered in food and toddler filth too.

Pre-child I don't think I even did a load a week tbh. Apart from bedding etc

@HeronLanyon

Actually I’ve just remembered - just before my water meter I had a man from water supplier - just remembered who put a fitting on my tap (which I had to take off immediately because my water would not run hot anymore) and put a balloon thing in my toilet cistern which had to remove because my toilet wouldn’t actually flush. I made a complaint about all of that. He started to ask me to do a survey with very personal ‘lifestyle’ qs and I flat out refused. It’s not to do with a meter being fitted is it ???

We've got a water meter fitted already - but they did try for the toilet balloon with us too. But last time we did that it meant poos wouldn't flush. So wouldn't rather pay to use more water than have to look at any more poo than I do already

We don’t change bedding and towels weekly, we do it fortnightly so that could be it (plus I still think we probably have a bigger washing machine)

me too absolute waste of time that water reduction appointment - one of the more bewildering utility cock ups.

Op how much on £ are you spending or how many litres of water ifs hard to say if your using too much without that info

Sorry wtf?!!!! Why did you entertain this crap- assuming legit, the simple response to a jobs worth like this is “no you can’t come on to my property, good bye”
Btw we’re two adults and a toddler in London and spend more than you

Slightly stunned that many people don't know about the impact of water wastage on water security, especially in London/South East... amp.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/23/england-at-risk-of-water-shortages-due-to-overuse-and-leaks-report-warns

It's pretty wet in the UK but doesn't mean drinkable water supplies won't run out! So there's a collective responsibility to not waste water blah blah (clearly those arguments don't appeal to people)

Having said that, the water companies obviously do fuck it up - we had the wrong meter linked to our account and got overcharged, took some doing to get the money back. Do the tests PP said, looking at the meters, but check the serial numbers too!

cocorico I do everything I can to reduce my water usage - I just did want to be able to flush my loo and have hot water after they had been !

@cyclingmad

Op how much on £ are you spending or how many litres of water ifs hard to say if your using too much without that info

I've posted this up thread.

Not sure if the water amount off the top of my head, but looking at the comparison chart of this year and last, we've used the same amount of water roughly, in previous years. Slight increase since lockdown due to potty training / doing laundry more regularly/ flushing toilet more etc. Due to three of us being in the house 24/7.

Water bills are approx £33 per month. We had a £40 increase in bills (in total) in the last year, so was maybe £27ish before? Increase mainly due to additional laundry and toddler now having real showers getting really, really filthy each day (no baby baths and strip washes any more).

The water company are meant to be emailing us a report so will update when they do.

I don't really have much more to add to this right now. Surprised and delighted that so many people were interested in such a boring post 😂

For those asking why I let him in - blame DH. He was probably hoping for a free t-shirt and 4% off our bill or something. We got a free shower time which DD will enjoy. But bit sad we didn't get any free tap thingies like another poster's parents did.

My best guess is they either made a mistake with their spiel and accidentally said we're using too much water, or they're trying to meet targets or something.

Not sure if this answers any questions - but there was some sort of fuck up a few weeks ago and half our town lost their water for a few days-a week due to a rumoured leak. We were ok though. But wonder if they now have to conserve more water to hit targets?

I've never been metered before so wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong.

Sorry I know this is an absolute derail but how does a family of 5 have only 3 washing loads a week?

Family of 4 here and it’s at least 1 load a day minimum! (7kg washer if you’re interested!)

Don't you wash your bed sheets, towels or cleaning cloths? confused

@AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings yes we wash all those things in our two loads. Most of the time we use antibac wipes though rather than cloths. We use the same bath towel 3 times before throwing in the wash basket if it's not dirty. We have spare sheets% bed spreads and do a bulk wash of those when we're on our last one, works out at about 1 bedsheets wash per month consisting of 2/3 sets.

oh tell them to fuck off for £33 a month. I live alone and my average is £15 a month on a meter previously on a water rate i was pay £45 per month!!!! Thast with Thames Water so its benefitted me to switch to a meter.

I wouldn't be letting them in my house. I thought you were gonna day something like £100 a month.

I wouldnt be changing anything either, I dont even do any of what you do e.g. saving shower water in bucket and reusing it in the toilets.

What a joke your water company is.

on, anything else that's covered in human or animal piss
This is the problem

£30-40 per month if it includes waste water is average. If that's just for clean water supply that's steep.

[quote AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings]@daisychain01 definitely finger wagging / telling off vibe.

It's weird, right?[/quote]
Then they sound horribly intrusive, CF and are overreacting, given the amount of your water bill which is well within range for the number of people in your family.

Never let them over your threshold again!

@CatsFantastic

Sorry I know this is an absolute derail but how does a family of 5 have only 3 washing loads a week?

Family of 4 here and it’s at least 1 load a day minimum! (7kg washer if you’re interested!)

I want to know these people's secrets!

just caught up kn your prev posts OP so your in London so must be with Thames Water then unless your on some weird border and its with someone else.

If you are with Thames Water what a cheek loke I said they happy to set the wayer rate for me in south London at £45 a month inc charges but when I switched to a meter a yr ago its now £15pm all in so mega cheeky for them to complain

Is your approx £30pm including the charges?

@MXT835EKS

Don't you wash your bed sheets, towels or cleaning cloths? confused

@AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings yes we wash all those things in our two loads. Most of the time we use antibac wipes though rather than cloths. We use the same bath towel 3 times before throwing in the wash basket if it's not dirty. We have spare sheets% bed spreads and do a bulk wash of those when we're on our last one, works out at about 1 bedsheets wash per month consisting of 2/3 sets.

I don't get how you can fit x3 sets in to your machine at once.

Maybe I've got a really small machine?

Were they definitely from the water company?

This has to be Thames Water.

I've had all sorts of issues with them in the past though none as ridiculous as this!

They spent a fortune digging up all the pavements on our estate 3-4 years back to instal water meters. Despite there being very clear records (our estate is 60-70 years old) that most of the houses are arranged on a shared supply, so we can't have water meters.

I had someone at the door to talk to me about my new meter. I said you can't instal one, it's a shared supply.

Oh do you live in a flat he said - talking to me as I stood at the door of my house He toddled off and a couple of weeks later I got a call from Thames Water asking how they could come into our block of flats to resolve the shared supply issue. And then telling me they would require details of the other residents. Completely couldn't grasp that a shared supply can be between 2 (or in our case 4) houses.

Dimwits.

3 years on, still no water meter. I think that's a win. Especially as I use my washing machine 7-8x a week and at least one of us has a bath every day, plus 3-4 showers (4 adults in the house).