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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what you pay for water?

51 replies

Stressedafff · 18/12/2023 11:53

2 bed council flat, 53sqm, no hosepipe, bath or dishwasher
Me and 4 year old DD.

Cant have a water meter, I’m being charged £47 a month with united utilities

Is that about right? Cos it seems ridiculously high

OP posts:
andymary · 18/12/2023 12:08

3-bed semi, two adults, no children, no dishwasher/hosepipe. 2 loads of washing per week. Drink mainly bottled water, not tap water.
Our water bill was £36 / month, but is now going up to £45 / month from January, as per our end of year bill that we had through last month. Seems like a massive increase! Purely just a bill increase for the service, not due to using any extra water/sewage.

Motnight · 18/12/2023 12:09

£26 a month. Thames Water, no meter. Two adults.

murasaki · 18/12/2023 12:10

Two providers will definitely push the cost up, poor you, as we have no choice with suppliers, unlike other utilities. I'm Thames Water, and apparently they can't give their shareholders massive dividends as they charge us too little. Nothing to do with the leaks and massive fines for pollution.....

LeroyJenkinssss · 18/12/2023 12:13

As a previous poster pointed out, you need to make sure they put you on an assessed rate as a water meter can’t be fitted, which for a flat is £365. If though you’re in a dual supplier it might not work out huge amounts cheaper.

gotomomo · 18/12/2023 12:20

I was paying £800 a year before I moved (no meter) but only £360 with a meter, 4 adults

Redlarge · 18/12/2023 12:21

£42

tescocreditcard · 18/12/2023 12:23

Roughly speaking, water costs about £150 per person per year.

LuckyPaisley · 18/12/2023 12:27

United utilities here too. 4 bed house, currently with 3 adults and 2 kids living in it. On a meter and we pay around what you do, I think it's currently £48pcm. It doesn't fluctuate much either, I think it's gone up and down between about £37 and £56 a month depending on how many was living here (max was 4 adults, 2 kids in lockdown so no using work toilets etc).

If you can get on a meter you'd surely be better off.

BrieAndChilli · 18/12/2023 12:30

welsh water - no meter we pay £58 a month

not sure a meter would benefit us as we are 5 adults/teens so lots of showers and lots of washing!

Westfacing · 18/12/2023 12:32

Stressedafff · 18/12/2023 11:58

Do I contact United Utilities about this? Cos I don’t actually understand how it’s so high. I also can’t have a meter. DD isn’t even here for 3 days as I work 12 hour shifts so surely to god it can’t be that high

Is that because your flat is council owned? If it's just because it's a flat, then there is no reason why you can't have a water meter.

I live in a private flat and have an indoor water meter in the former airing cupboard - had it about 15 years. It's a small cylinder approx 7" in length and 4" diameter - it's plumbed into the water inlet pipe. Fitted by Thames Water.

My bill more than halved - from around £500 to £200 pa.

Lulalola · 18/12/2023 12:38

2 adults and 1 dog, 1 bed flat in the South West, washing machine, bath and shower but no dishwasher. We're on a meter and pay £18 per month

HelpMeGetThrough · 18/12/2023 12:57

Well over £1000 a year here. Unmetered.

CasperGutman · 18/12/2023 13:00

Four of us in a five bed semi in Wales pay £25/month.

Cookerhood · 18/12/2023 13:04

Stressedafff · 18/12/2023 12:04

Apparently my bill works out at £558 a year 😮
Surely to god I’m not using that much water?!

But isn't the amount you use irrelevant if you don't have a meter? They have no way of knowing how much you use.
Ours is about £500/year, 4 bed detached house, anywhere between 2&6 people having showers, baths etc on a water meter.

tescocreditcard · 18/12/2023 13:10

Thats the problem with not having a meter, as obviously they can just charge what they like.

But i've monitored my own water usage for 30 years now and it started off 30 years ago at £100 pppy and it's now £150pppy. I know this because it started off just me and hubby, then me, hubby and 3 kids, then an au-pair, then just me and the kids then just me, then me and a lodger.

Its always worked out at roughly £150

Danikm151 · 18/12/2023 13:12

I’m on the big difference scheme with severn trent as I have a child under 5 and pay £16pm

maybe check if there’s an equivalent with your water company

Paddleboarder · 18/12/2023 13:14

Mine is £41 per month for myself and one child in an 3 bed. After reading this it seems too high! We don’t have a leak.

christmaspaws · 18/12/2023 13:15

Lancashire, single and on meter
Pay £22pm (no dishwasher but I love a bath!)

IncompleteSenten · 18/12/2023 13:16

No meter and it was £561.70 for the last year

margotrose · 18/12/2023 13:17

£13 a month. Two adults.

HouseOfRunners · 18/12/2023 13:18

Same situation here due to age and location of property.
You need to speak to them about an “assessed charge” based on the people living in the property.
Our water board didn’t count children under a certain age; can’t remember what it was, sorry.

murasaki · 18/12/2023 13:18

Sometimes there can be a leak outside your house though, that affects you. Hopefully the OP has called them and has some answers. As said, my parents would have been paying for two houses had my mum not been an argumentative type. And even then they had to have Severn trent round inspecting the garden. Which delighted my mad father as he got to dowse for the pipes and be more accurate than they were with their proper kit. Fun times.

TerfTalking · 18/12/2023 13:19

£30 a month two adults, lots of sports wear, hosepipe and I have baths more often than showers. However it does go up and down every 12 months so next year it could be £40, then back to £36, then up to £42!

Yorkshire Water on a meter.

LBOCS2 · 18/12/2023 13:20

£25 a month - 5 bed house (occupied by 5 people), on a meter, with water being used in a not-particularly sparing manner (the 7yo likes half hour long showers 🙄). We're currently in about £100 credit.

I look after flats for a living and have had many with meters. It may be that they can't cut off the supply to fit it as it will affect the supply to the whole block, but it's worth pushing them for a decent answer.

SeparatedAndFree · 18/12/2023 13:22

Nothing.... well I do but it's all included in my council tax so couldn't actually tell you.