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Water bill - what’s yours?

70 replies

Noeuf · 10/12/2021 11:24

Just interested - I can’t see any obvious leaks and there are six of us all of whom shower regularly. Lots of washing of clothes.
One disabled kid who has a daily bath but we don’t qualify for any help from the water people as we earn above their limits.
1000 from June to December for incoming and waste water. So we are 500 in deficit and they are upping the charges each month. Water metre.

OP posts:
BonnyEm · 10/12/2021 11:34

You definitely need to get rid of the meter!
We don't have a meter.
Ours is £27 (10 months of the year)

usernotfound0000 · 10/12/2021 11:35

Wow! How big is your house? We are on a meter, 4 beds, 2 adults and 2 kids. Daily showers, washing machine and dishwasher on daily and both WFH. We were paying £44 a month but just had a recent bill and it has dropped to £37 a month = £444 annually.

MissSmiley · 10/12/2021 11:38

There are 6 of us here, me and 5 teenagers, it comes to about 47 a month but I'm sure it used to be about 32 🤔 although I'm not complaining if that means they're showering more often

NMC2022 · 10/12/2021 11:42

On a meter, single person
I do about 3 washes a week, shower daily, two baths a week, no dishwasher. I switch the water off cleaning teeth etc but don't limit usage
£22pm, NW

Noeuf · 10/12/2021 11:45

Blimey. Can’t get rid of the meter unfortunately.
This is waste plus tap - we don’t get separate bills so I’m hoping some of you are just counting water in.
House is small 4 bed. No hoses used or hot tubs. Washing machine, dishwasher, shower, bath, two loos.

OP posts:
Loopyloulou007 · 10/12/2021 11:52

They will be putting all water meters in all homes soon, so will all being paying for what we use. I am in Greenwich and our borough was the first. They come and dig up outside your house, not giving a care and during that, they break the pipe that is on your property, that is then your responsibility., so basically it is a way to get everyone to update the pipe work, that they can then profit from. I would also question whether you have a leak. Turn everything off and check the meter isn't running. We had an investigation, Thames Water could not find anything, sit in the kitchen, hear hissing, pull up floorboards and we have a swimming pool. Lost all the kitchen flooring, took ages.

To reduce the usage, you can get a hippo, that goes in the toilet, so uses half the amount ish. You can install a different shower head, that does the same, by spraying out less, also a similar thing on your tap.

Make sure the meter is to your property, by running a tap and seeing if meter goes round and stops when u turn it off. This happened to my brother, next door had a lovely green garden, watered everyday. My brother lived alone. Wasn't until he was in hospital for a month and the bill remained the same, that he queried it and it was spotted. Also make sure you have not got a shared supply and so they are charging you for next door also (happened to us). In which case you would stay on rateable water charges.

Other than that, just be mindful of your use age. Wait til you have a full load of washing, washing up, get a timer for the shower, no taps running washing your teeth. Clothes aren't dirty after one wash, only wash when dirty etc. Get a water butt for the garden.

Good luck

Toastytoads · 10/12/2021 11:55

Check that your toilets are not continuously filling, they sometimes do this silently but if you look at the water in the bowl .You will notice if this is happening. Mine did this and I managed to apply for a leakage allowance from the water company.

QforCucumber · 10/12/2021 11:56

2 adults, 2 kids, Northumbrian water on a meter - bill is £38 a month atm - so around £230 for 6 months, they're due to read it again shortly and I expect it will increase a little as we've had a new shower fitted which seems to use tons!

Sprostongreen21 · 10/12/2021 11:57

Not metered. Greater Manchester £47 a month.

SirensofTitan · 10/12/2021 11:58

@BonnyEm

You definitely need to get rid of the meter! We don't have a meter. Ours is £27 (10 months of the year)
You can't get rid of a meter unless you have recently changed I believe.

It is a lot to pay but not outrageous for what you describe. Are you in an expensive water area?

usernotfound0000 · 10/12/2021 12:50

@Noeuf

Blimey. Can’t get rid of the meter unfortunately. This is waste plus tap - we don’t get separate bills so I’m hoping some of you are just counting water in. House is small 4 bed. No hoses used or hot tubs. Washing machine, dishwasher, shower, bath, two loos.
No separate bills here so I assume what we pay includes waste also.
Roselilly36 · 10/12/2021 12:56

Have you let the water company know your child has a disability that causes you to use more water, for extra washing, toilet etc. You may find they will call the price. My water company did that for me due to disability.

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 10/12/2021 12:56

2 adults, 8 children. 3 loads of washing done daily, dishwasher on twice a day, regular baths/showers. Ours is £51 a month, was £59 but has just been lowered as we were building up a credit. This includes waste. Yours seems very high!

Roselilly36 · 10/12/2021 12:56

Cap the price, even!

Noeuf · 10/12/2021 13:03

Wow you lot are amazing. Thank you. Brilliant ideas to get some of the stuff (we have a water butt and tap ends). I’ve also been wandering around the house and reading this so have found a tiny leaking tap which I will get replaced.
I will get in touch about my child - Maybe this will help.
There are two metre lid things next to my house and next doors so it looks like separate ones. Not sure how to check and I don’t know where the stop cock is.

OP posts:
DragonMamma · 10/12/2021 13:05

£77 a month here on metered usage. Showers every day, a dishwasher run each day and probably about 6/7 loads of washing a week. 2 adults, 2 kids and 2 dogs (who usually require hosing down at least a few times a week)

KateInHappyland · 10/12/2021 13:06

We don’t have a meter and pay £40 per month (Anglian Water).

Noeuf · 10/12/2021 13:11

Dragonmamma - that gives me a bit of hope that maybe it’s the leak but we aren’t too far off .

OP posts:
itwasntaparty · 10/12/2021 13:19

We're on a meter, family of four, showers every day - we don't use the bath as none of us really like it apart from the dog occasionally- 2 loads of washing a day at least, dishwasher.

£39 per month. Yours sounds very very wrong op.

the80sweregreat · 10/12/2021 13:24

47 a month
We have to pay two separate bills and it does fluctuate. We have a water meter.

Noeuf · 10/12/2021 13:27

It says we are using £110 per month. Which sounds really high even with the six people and additional bath water. Dishwasher, two loos, one shower, one bath, no pool/hot tub/jet wash/sprinkler. Kitchen sink. Kettle on a lot.

OP posts:
Noeuf · 10/12/2021 13:28

Checked the loos and shower and all taps. One leak found - from the base of the tap. Outside taps switched off. Might isolate them. Not sure how to check dishwasher or washing machine but no obvious water.

OP posts:
Noeuf · 10/12/2021 13:34

It’s been going up each reading. Surely that’s weird.

Water bill - what’s yours?
OP posts:
Hen2018 · 10/12/2021 13:51

£10 a month here (septic tank)

Pinetreesfall · 10/12/2021 13:56

Ours would be £180 a month if we didn't get a special tariff. Apparently we get this because we have 3 kids?!
The water charges are absolutely ridiculous though.
5 of us. Only me wfh during the day. One load of washing a day and 1/2 dishwasher loads. 3 of us shower once a day and the little ones every couple of days.
Before we moved to the south west we paid £23 a month in Oxfordshire.
I was warned water is expensive down here but my god!!

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