Water bill

[silversun]

I know in the south west our water bills are higher than most but we just got our bill for the coming year, just under £1600.
Bog standard 3 bed semi, 4 people, average use, not on a meter.
Just wondered what others in a similar situation are paying and would it be cheaper on a meter?

The curiousOrange,that's eye watering, for your fuel.Apologies for going "off post", how big is your property?

People don't try it as if they sell the house the new owners would have to use the water meter.

Apply for a water meter immediately. You have a period of time where you can revert to the unmetered account if it doesn’t work out cheaper. Make sure to have water saving devices in place, eg toilet with full and reduced flush options. Modern cisterns use less water. South West Water can send you something to place in your cistern otherwise. Free, I believe.

I'm in the SW, and last year my water bill was ridiculously high (I was paying £60 a month) . Turns out I had a pipe leaking in my property and also a leaking washing machine (leaking down back so didn't see it until the motor rusted and had to be replaced). Now these are sorted my bill is down to £45 which is more or less what it was before . I live alone with my three guinea pigs, £60 per month was ridiculous!!! Yeah the guinea pigs fleece does take a lot of washing, but still...

So check for any possible leaks.

Some people might think like that but I'd guess it's a very small number given that well over half the houses in England already have a meter and every new house built has to have one

You'd only be theoretically affecting a buyer whose a huge water user in a low rated property. It wouldn't put me off installing a meter at all if I didn't already have one, really low risk

Are you sure you aren't paying for the whole house? That seems a crazy amount for a one-bed flat.

Also in the SW and just opened the bill 😱 It's going up from £85 per month to £124 per month. I've read the riot act to kids and husband and told them I will be policing daily baths and extended showers 🤣

Mines £620 up from £475 with Yorkshire water. I think I’m going to go for the 2 year trial with a water meter as most of the time it’s just me don’t wfh and it surely must be less than £62 a month on a meter

We’re in Cornwall and South West Water increased our monthly direct debit by £15 a month. Even though we were in credit!
We have a meter

Frustrating. Especially since the people here need water filters because the water is always brown! We have a water supply issue roughly 6 times a year 😤

Well just got off the phone to Yorkshire water and apparently I can’t have a meter fitted as they have surveyed before. But could get a single person tariff which was about £395 better than nothing. But if it becomes 2 people again that £620 is still their reduced rate absolute madness!

If they have confirmed you cant have a meter fitted have they changed you onto a accessed charge with a single person discount. Just did this with my mum, she is with Thames water - 3 bed house but is on her own. Thames water couldn't fit a meter so changed her tariff. yearly Bill changed from - £1082.86 down to £524.32.

Really worth while checking, your water company should have a accessed charge table on their website - although may be hidden away - they don't like to advertise it

WTF?! Mine is £36 a month, on a meter! I do only have my dc here half the time but I have a bath every night, shower in the morning, and the washing machine is on at least once a day. I'm in the NE

Southern Water on a meter. It was £109 per month which I thought was steep, it has now increased to £143 per month.

2 Adults, 2 Teens, 4 bed

@ByEdgyPeer

i was in Severn Trent not on a meter until 5 years ago and my bill was £650 a year back then, I’m guessing you are in a band a property or do have a meter.

sw is more expensive, but not that much more if you have a meter. I pay £60 a month for 8 months

@silversun - More Or Less on R4 did a thing on whether bills for water were more expensive if not metered and it was pretty eye-opening!

The discrepancy between the metered and unmetered bills has risen sharply over the past 15 years or so. The water companies assume that if you are not on a meter you are using far above average water for your size of property and bill you accordingly.

I rang up to get a meter installed after hearing that programme and my monthly bills have reduced by £60!

When the children were little (and I had them in cloth nappies) we were endlessly running the washing machine, running baths for them, filling paddling pools in the summer etc and I thought a meter would probably be a bad idea. I never really thought about it afterwards and could kick myself how much we've been paying over the odds.

Slow hand clap, Mrs Thatcher, slow fucking hand clap.

Incompetent moron.

And it's only going to get worse. Britain's waterways will all be declared functionally dead before this debacle gets sorted out.

Ours is £1200 a year, just two adults and a dog. When I queried it, more than once, was asked 'do you have a swimming pool?' Er, no! We're metered, it's been checked, nothing wrong apparently and yet we're getting through 1000 litres of water a day. Two people, one of whom showers most days at the gym. Absolute bullshit!

We’re in Devon, we are a family of 4 on a water meter (sadly). Our bill is ridiculous. I don’t consider us to be ‘high’ water consumers as there’s no swimming pool in our garden or anything. We do all keep clean, one washing load a day, one dishwasher cycle, no car washing, no gardening, nothing crazy… And yes, I’ve checked for leaks.
The problem with these threads is that there are always people from all over the country telling you that’s ridiculous, I pay £3 a year and have 10 baths a day! But unless they’re with SWW, there’s no comparison!
We used to live in Somerset and paid £50 a month for an unmetered 4 bed house. We knew it would be more in Devon, but were still shocked to now have to pay £130 on a meter.

How does that work? If you aren't on a meter you pay based on your rateable value, they aren't making individual decisions or assumptions

Sounds like you might have a leak somewhere, I'd keep on at the water company and take half hourly readings especially when you aren't using any water.

Have you already checked if its going up when everything is switched off?

My bill is £770 this year , 3 bed semi, 4 people, no water meter,and I thought that was bad enough as its gone up £13 a month. £1600 is ridiculously expensive

So I’m waiting for the meter team to ring for a visit. After speaking to the neighbours (8 houses in our postcode) it turns out we pay a lot more (more than a third!) than they do, all unmetered and same house/occupants.
South west water could not give a reason for this, what would be my next step-ombudsman?

I'm with Severn Trent, in the Midlands, in a small semi with one adult living alone. My bill has gone from £650 to £899 for the year which is over 38% increase and strikes me as absolutely outrageous for a year. My opposite neighbour in an almost identical house has been charged £520 for the year and is also outraged that that's a 30% increase on the previous year, but I can't see how they can justify charging me so much more. I need to go on a meter, but it's impossible to get through on the phone.

I save rainwater and run off to flush the loo, and we're very very cautious with usage.
We still pay around £40 a month (SW water)- two adults.

We're in Dorset, there are only the 2 of us, on a meter and VERY careful with water. We currently pay £12.50 a month.

you can apply online with Severn Trent through your online account (assuming you log in via the new portal).

I would say it’s interesting the variations across the midlands with Severn Trent as ours is 712 for the year (up from 500ish) and we’re end terrace with 3 adults and 1 child