To think £41/pm for water is wrong?

[Water41]

I live in a one bed flat. Just me and a small cat. I work 5am - 5pm most five days a week so am out of the house from about 4:30am to 6pm.

Wash clothing twice a week. I mostly shower at work (I have a physical job and get mucky most days!) but have a bath as a treat once a week. I don't flush the loo if it's just wee. I have a small dishwasher that uses about 4l per load which is on maybe four times a week. I'm genuinely not using much water. I grew up in a country where water was scarce and I'm very used to not wasting it.

I can't see a leak anywhere in the flat either.

Anglican Water are insisting that I must pay £41 per month on DD. I'm on a meter but have been unable to access it by myself - I'm going to ring them again tomorrow and ask for it to be read. Am I being mad?

Could there be a water leak somewhere and they are charging you for it??? Ask the water company to check the main supply outside your property

There's no signs of a leak anywhere but I will ask!

Have you just moved in? They could be basing it on previous tenants water usage, it usually takes a few months to settle down.

I WFH in a two bed flat and pay £27 a month for water. Also have a dishwasher, daily shower (two in the summer) and a bath once a week to do lady maintenance. It does sound very high, definitely get someone out to read the meter. Good luck!

Loving the "Anglican" water typo, for £41 a month I'd be expecting it to turn into wine

@Water41 i didn't know there was a leak outside my property until the water board came out...... apparently the dial was spinning madly 😳

you need a meter reading - if you can't do it then ask that they do. until your bill is right any monthly payment will be potentially wrong

Solo in a small flat. I pay £4 water in and £5.70 water out to Portsmouth & Southern Water respectively. On a meter, low usage but probably a bit more than yours re showers and washing machine and washing up. I don't waste water but don't worry about the meter/cost. I always thought South West Water were supposed to be the most expensive due to large coastline area.

Is it based on actual use, or predicted use?

Why can’t you access the meter? You need to turn your water off and check the meter before and a few hours after, and then do the same with the water turned on but without using any water.

I would ask to speak to someone about how the bill is calculated (estimated/actual plus the elements of the bill) and if they can confirm when the meter readings too place and evidence these.

Reading mine there are 4 elements. Clean water you use, removing waste/foul water, removing rainwater from my property (which you can get a reduction on if your rainwater doesn't discharge into the sewer) and a standing charge.

Ours is £47 for a 3 bed semi/family of 4 (metered/north west) so £41 does seem high but not sure if you can compare like that.

Also worth checking if you pay over 10 or 12. You never know you might have 2 "free" months coming up.

I pay £32. No baths. Daily shower. Dishwasher daily. Clothes washing 6 loads per month.
with baths and washes you do I would expect it to be higher than £32. Baths use a lot

My parents live in a block of retirement flats where there was a leak in the road which was inflating their bills. Definitely get it checked.

2 adults, both wfh and I feel we use a fair amount, £46 - definitely get a meter reading

Autocorrect got me unfortunately!

I have lived here for 2.5 years and it was always about £20/pm. Unfortunately they updated the app and it deleted my DD and now they won't let me set a new one up unless I agree to pay the £41!

The cap had to be replaced because it had frozen and cracked and the key thing I have isn't the right one for the slot.

so you need a key and you need them to read the meter first. set up a standing order instead and then you can choose the amount. or just pay monthly online.

10 minutes under a power shower or 20 minutes under a normal shower is the same as a bath so one bath a week is probably less than you showering every day for a week.

In a one bed flat just had my six month bill of £99.
So £16.50 a month. I have a rain shower, dishwasher and do 2 loads of laundry most weeks.

41 a month sounds crazy. Hope you can sort it out.

Anglain Water are one of the more expensive water companies. But I would insist on them coming to read the meter. We are with Anglian and pay £35 pm for a 5 bed detached house with 5 people living here - however we have a septic tank so the bill is only usage and no sewerage charges.

I asked for a replacement just before Christmas but it hasn't arrived yet.

We're on a water meter and pay £42pm. There's 3 adults at home all day (2 retired, 1 WFH). So 3 showers a day, dishwasher run every day. Washing machine on most days. Large garden which gets watered in warm weather. You are definitely being overcharged OP.

Thank you! I'll ring them again in the morning and see what I can get done.

We pay £41 pcm and we're a family of three people, my DH baths nearly every day and I do laundry ( including for a family member who is unable to do their own) at least 7 times per week .

I think £41 is too much for you @Water41 .

Anglian are expensive. We pay double that for two adults and a 6 year old, the house is empty during the day in the week and often at weekends we are out all day. DH showers at the gym 5 times a week and me 3, we do more washing than you.
You definitely need access to your meter. The keys are usually generic and if they are being rubbish you might get one on eBay (I did this in my old flat where it then transpired I was paying for next door's water as well as my own, that was Anglian and a new build)

I have low water usage shower head, not pressure , and 10 mins per day

beginning to think I’ve got a leak or over charging 😱