The bloody water bill! Would you get a meter in this scenario??

[Bemyclementine]

I just don't understand why its so much! Just checked my banking and my water bill has gone up to just shy of £100 a month. 2 bed end terrace, 1 adult, 2 dc.

I do 4 or 5 loads of washing a week. No shower in the house, but the bath is used maybe 4 times a week max (we shower at swimming/gym) If i have a bath the kids get in after.

Slimline dishwasher used 4 or 5 times a week.

10 litres of water a day for animal purposes, less in winter as catch rainwater.

Very occasional paddling pool in summer

Does £100 a month sound a lot to you?

That sounds like an awful lot in your situation.
I would almost always say that a meter is better than a flat cost.

I have just done a conservative estimate on the Anglian water website, it suggests £750 a year with a meter.

I know! My mum lives on her own, no dishwasher, no baths, probably 1 load of washing a week. No watering plants.
Standing charge risen to £80 a month. We're getting a meter installed

The rule of thumb used to be that if you have more people than bedrooms then a meter would probably be more expensive than rates. That may have changed with recent rises.

I think that currently if you ask for a meter then you can choose to go back to paying rates in the first two years if it works out more expensive. Maybe worth checking with your water company?

Ours went up a bit, but 100 is craycray.
We pay the more because we have lots of planters, garden a lot and wash car at home. I put our summer usage into our providers calculator and that's even without coffeess etc, we are saving...
Check properly. Once you go meter, you never go back afaik.

Water prices vary hugely across the country, so what others pay is not that relevant. We pay nearly that much for metered, and they tell us we use less than average for the size of the house. Metered is still cheaper than rates for us -it's just still a lot.

So you are unlikely to be better off on a meter ( rule of thumb as said above if you have more bedrooms than people it makes a meter work out better). What is your consumption estimated at? Worth checking you used to be able to go on a meter and if you were worse off revert back to unmetered bills

@Gizlotsmum I will set aside sone time later to check the usage on my last bill and work it out from there 100 quid a month is a LOT and the cost has risen dramatically the last few years

We pay £36 a month. 2 adults, daily showers, no baths, dishwasher daily and washer 4-5 times weekly. Just checked account online and we are slightly in credit

@Fraughtmum thats absolutely bonkers isnt it. What area are you in if you dont mind?

I am with anglia water. Its worth checking what rate you are on. If you are eligible, young kids, certain conditions ie disabilities, eczema, low income etc there is water sure scheme which caps your bill. I have a meter snd even when I wasnt on water sure scheme my bill was not that high.

Not eligible. 2 children, no disabilities. Single parent, low income though.

Yes I think it sounds a lot and I would get a meter. Sounds like you will be saving money based on that calculator but I would use real figures from your bills.

I understand why but it’s so annoying you can’t shop around for water. I’m in the south east and some people have had huge price increases because the water company hasn’t maintained their pipes for years. Most people are careful with water, it’s the company that’s losing millions of litres per day, but now we have to pay for it because we can’t choose someone with better pipes and lower prices

We’re on a meter , 2 adults , shower each morning , occasional bath
Dishwasher every day , washing machine on maybe 4 times a week , an out side tap , so plants are watered when the water butt runs out
£45 a month

mine is £82 a month on a meter. Doubled in price from 2 months ago. Ridiculous amount for 3 people.

Don't believe this !!
We did it it and we was so careful and very aware of using water it was annoying!
When we got our bill it was the same !!!
Luckily we could switch back and now we use it freely for the same price !
I don't know the actual bill but your does sound high !

Yorkshire

We're on a meter. I switched to monthly bills, rather than direct debit after Thames water wanted to almost double the amount I was paying (by dd). We pay on average £44 a month. Thames Water wanted to take £80 by Direct debit. OP I recommend getting a meter, and paying for what you actually use, rather than what your water company estimates

So I have just checked my bill and there us no indication of how much they think I am using. Just a charge relating to rateable value. I suppose there is no way of know how much we ACTUALLY use without having a meter fitted?

Yes, a meter will track how much you actually use.

Anglian water are switching everyone to a meter by 2030 anyway. If you choose to get one now then you can go back to unmetered within 24 months unless your area has already been switched over https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/services/water-supply/water-meters/switching-to-measured-charges

They don't.

"UU" wrote to us telling us we use a lot of water, more than average. So I got in touch with them to ask how they could possibly make such an accusation without evidence as we have no water meter.

UU give lots of money to a company to come and tell people to have this stupid aerator fitted to their pipes. It has a life span of about 8 years. The research they use to claim it saves water and energy come from a study of 6 weeks with data looked at by Liverpool university. Liverpool Uni have been unable to verify what research this is yet.
The study took place on a limited number of properties in spring AFAICT. This will have accounted for the reduction in heating costs (people use less energy as the weather warms up) and the reduction in water use is almost certainly due to the Hawthorne effect (observation changes activity).

I assume the profit from this other company makes someone very wealthy.

I am deeply cynical about this whole nonsense of beating people with a stick to use less water.

The aerator/water saving company sent reps round door to door to try and get people to sign up for one. I talked to the bloke and he gave me one to look at and keep.

I had a meter installed this week. Me, DD (50%) of the time and dog with a small garden. I was horrified when i saw how much the bill was going to be (just moved from property with bore hole and septic tank so had no idea how expensive water rates had got).

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762640

Would it be cheaper in public ownership?

I'm living on my own, two bedrooms, garden, and my Welsh Water bill rocketed to £980 this year!
Because of the property layout with the other apartment I was unable to get a water metre fixed, but my water bill has been recalculated at £485 a year to reflect that.
However, I did have to make a bit of a fuss to get it, it's not automatic.
I should have made a fuss years ago.