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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you if you've ever managed to get your water bill (non metered) reduced?

29 replies

Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 14:42

Moved house. Was on a meter before and my bills were coming to about £15-20 a month combined water and sewage, without any discounts. Just me and a toddler. I barely have time to shower myself and washing up and laundry get done sporadically in a big load.

Got to the new house. Was told there was no water meter and bills were £26 a month. I thought okay I can manage that.
Then I've been put on bills at £35 a month AFTER a discount for being on benefits (which means if I am able to go back to work it will go up). I called them (South East Water) and they said they are unable to fit a meter into the property. They refused to put me onto the single person occupancy based on my circumstances, even though my second person here is about a metre high, and said I couldn't show them my actual usage based on my old bills with different supplier.
I don't think this is fair. Has anyone found a way to have bills put to closer to actual usage without a meter? Should I just buy big bottles of water for bathing and washing up and ask them to just charge me for a weekly washing machine use (half joking).

OP posts:
ChoiceMummy · 10/02/2022 14:55

It's not single occupancy. you're on the benefits reduced rate. What more do you want? That's their charge end of.

Moving home always leads to a variation in costs of utilities even if you believe you're acting in exactly the same way.
Unmetred usage is at a premium. If you rent its just tough. If you own look at the reasons for refusal - often due to sharing water delivery with neighbours, outhouses etc. If these, look at costs of changing this. (in all honesty not likely to be cost effective.

Bonzoman · 10/02/2022 14:59

Do you have any medical conditions where u night need more frequent use of water? I am in Wales abd I know Welsh Water offer different rates if u have certain conditions such as Crohn's, eczema etc

Billandben444 · 10/02/2022 15:00

I pay Thames Water £36 a month - it wouldn't occur to me to challenge it tbh as it's just gone up a little bit each year since I've been here. You will never get an accurate figure without a water meter so you're a bit stuck.

Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:03

@ChoiceMummy I didn't ask for an opinion of whether I should be grateful or not, I asked if anyone had been successful. I don't know if you're a single mum or not with zero child support but you try making £600 last for bus fares (£100 a month here), gas, electric, water, council tax, nutritious food for two, toddler groups, clothes, phone, internet, toys, shoes, and rent top up. Not to mention household things that have wear and tear and need replacing. Every penny is a lifeline.

OP posts:
CorrBlimeyGG · 10/02/2022 15:04

Have you asked for a meter to be fitted?

Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:06

@corrblimeygg yes and they said they tried in 2016 and were unable to.

@bonzoman I have fibromyalgia but if anything that makes me use less water as the immobility some days leaves me doing less.

OP posts:
SpaghettiArmsMurderer · 10/02/2022 15:09

Ask them to come out and reassess whether a meter could be fitted.
What kind of property is it? We are in a terrace and at first they thought they couldn’t put one in as we might have shared supply with the other houses but they managed to put it next to our stopcock in the end. We also had one put in when we lived in a maisonette. Going from unmetered to metered brought the price down loads, we are with Thames Water and they’ve reduced our DD to £15 for two adults.

Danikm151 · 10/02/2022 15:10

Different areas can have different costs for water. Depends on distance to water source, sewage etc. I moved 10 minutes away and my water went from £13 a month to £20 per month. £7 difference may not seem a lot but it makes a difference.

CorrBlimeyGG · 10/02/2022 15:11

That's really frustrating for you. Ask them to explain why they are not able to fit a meter, there may be a valid reason, or it may be that a fresh pair of eyes can sort it and get you a meter.

Water companies do have funds available where people are struggling, this is separate to the social tariff. Ask if you're able to apply for a grant to help you manage the cost.

Sunnysideup24 · 10/02/2022 15:11

If they’ve said you can’t have a water meter fitted you can ask if they do an assessed charge and if that’s any lower. CCWater are the consumer representatives and might be able to help if you don’t get anywhere with the company. They say: “ [If you can’t have a meter…]The alternative charge is known as an Assessed Charge and is based on average bills paid by customers who do have meters.

There is a variety of names for this charge, for example:

Assessed Volume Charge (AVC)
Assessed Measured Charge (AMC)
Average Household Charge
Assessed Household Charge
or just simply 'Assessed Charge' (AC).”

Summertime16 · 10/02/2022 15:13

I work for Welsh Water and like @Sunnysideup24 has stated if they are unable to fit a water meter then you should be on an AMC (or whatever your water company term is)

There should also be a social tariff for you if you claim benefits which reduces your bill. Also the option to have your water charges to be taken out of your benefits.

Bagelsandbrie · 10/02/2022 15:13

We are on the reduced rate for disabilities related to water use and it’s £35 a month, that’s the lowest charge I think you can possibly get. I know it’s difficult, we struggle too. (We have a water meter but pay the single flat rate due to my son and I having conditions that use a lot of water).

danni0509 · 10/02/2022 15:14

@Peppapigforlife

I have fibromyalgia but if anything that makes me use less water as the immobility some days leaves me doing less.

Have you thought about applying for pip?

Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:18

It's a semi detached terrace.
I'll ask them to try again with the meter.
I think I might already be on the assessed charge. The problem is I'm not the average user. I'm super eco conscious where I can be- I even make DD do three wees before I let her flush the toilet. In my last place I paid £100 on a meter for the first year and the previous tenants had a bill arrive for £500.
I'll ask about the grant.
Thanks everyone!

OP posts:
Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:20

[quote danni0509]@Peppapigforlife

I have fibromyalgia but if anything that makes me use less water as the immobility some days leaves me doing less.

Have you thought about applying for pip?[/quote]
@danni0509 I have but I've read how hard it is to get approved and I don't think I have the energy to go through all the horrible assessments. I'm already one of those people who never look ill and have to convince doctors I've got a kidney infection or something.

OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 10/02/2022 15:20

It sounds like you are already paying the assessed charge (based on the number of bedrooms/occupiers) rather than water rates (based on the rateable value of the house).

Unfortunately, your child counts as an occupier because children use a similar amount of water to adults.

Summertime16 · 10/02/2022 15:22

how old is the property? that is the main reason why meters can't be fitted, due to pipework etc.

PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears · 10/02/2022 15:23

When we moved house in 2015 our water bill was £95 pm. I asked for a meter to be fitted and they came out to do it but couldn't. They couldn't find the pipes. They said in these instances they'd look at our occupancy (4) and the average use of our road. Rates were reduced to £38 pm. They've since risen to £50 pm. (Although I've just noticed the DD only goes out 8 months a year, not 12. Weird.)

4kinell · 10/02/2022 15:26

Mine is £60 pound a month , non metered . I can't believe the huge differences in what people are paying , I can understand it when it's metered as your paying for what you use but I would of thought non metered charges would be pretty standard maybe with small differences

Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:27

The property is council so I'm guessing 60s or 70s.

OP posts:
Original poster
Peppapigforlife · 10/02/2022 15:29

It's like being out for a meal and splitting the bill when you didn't drink any wine.

OP posts:
Summertime16 · 10/02/2022 15:48

everyone's water bill is split in two, the usage and the standing charge. it does vary from each area and for reference your child will be classed as an occupier too. What your paying seems standard for a 2 person household.

Hawkins001 · 10/02/2022 15:51

@Peppapigforlife

Moved house. Was on a meter before and my bills were coming to about £15-20 a month combined water and sewage, without any discounts. Just me and a toddler. I barely have time to shower myself and washing up and laundry get done sporadically in a big load.

Got to the new house. Was told there was no water meter and bills were £26 a month. I thought okay I can manage that.
Then I've been put on bills at £35 a month AFTER a discount for being on benefits (which means if I am able to go back to work it will go up). I called them (South East Water) and they said they are unable to fit a meter into the property. They refused to put me onto the single person occupancy based on my circumstances, even though my second person here is about a metre high, and said I couldn't show them my actual usage based on my old bills with different supplier.
I don't think this is fair. Has anyone found a way to have bills put to closer to actual usage without a meter? Should I just buy big bottles of water for bathing and washing up and ask them to just charge me for a weekly washing machine use (half joking).

If you pay x amount over x months, for the months your not needed to pay, yoy.can still pay some on your card and that reduces the weekly amounts for the next billing calendar
MorningStarling · 10/02/2022 16:11

I have an assessed rate because they can't install a meter here. Basically you won't get anywhere claiming the assessed rate is too high, they have decided what a typical property of any given size uses and that's that.

You've also got the wastewater charges of course which will be the same whether you're on a meter or not.

The thing is, when you move your bill could easily change, because the new place might be more expensive to serve.

myusernamewastakenbyme · 10/02/2022 16:15

I've just moved to this house and there is no meter here...i'm being stung £58 a month.