To ask how much is your water bill? If you are on a meter

[Florence4170]

Just that! - how much is your monthly bill please?

I can't recall offhand but I know the standing charge is >> the metered charges.
I live alone, travel a lot, sometimes shower at work, don't flush every time, etc.

I grew up in a place of water scarcity.

In 2023 ours was 110 a month. 4 bed house, 3 kids 2 adults

I even go to the swimming baths every day to take a shower (I do swim as well!) to try to cut down on the cost. I can't say how much I hate the thieving buggerluggers!

I live alone, 2 bed flat, tiny garden - I've had a water meter for around 15 years I think.

My DD varied between £19-25 per month and that covered the eventual annual cost - no build up of credit/debit.

Thames Water have recently put up the DD to £47!

Try turning it off overnight and take a video of the meter (as a time stamp) and a couple of photos. Then turn the water back on in the morning and again another video and photos.
The meter moves really slowly when you have a drip type leak (my ball valve in the loft had gone on my heating expansion tank and water was dripping out of a pipe in the eaves). Invisible in the winter but noticed during the dry summer!).

Is this a metered bill?

Are you including sewerage? Southern has relatively low water rates but super high sewerage rates.

We had a leak that started slow 3ltr an hour. By the time we found it was something like 50ltrs an hour. It was after the meter obviously but before our property line so they had to pay to fix and cover the bill. Was kind of ahh though getting an email while on holiday that you are using water every hour of the day when away. They had buggered the pipe when they installed the smart meter 🙄 and it was leaking under the drive way so not visible.

I got an email from Southern Water telling me they're putting my monthly payment up to £57-something. I'm single, no kids, never water the garden, take short showers instead of baths, never run the dishwasher or washing machine unless it's a full load etc.

The paper bill came yesterday and I haven't checked it yet, but I will. A few years ago they put the DD amount up by shedloads, and they'd assumed that I would use a lot more water than I actually did. If last year's usage at this year's prices is less than they want me to pay, I'll reduce the DD to what I think it should be.

They seem to think they're entitled to have my money sitting in their account, for some reason.

I switched to a meter years ago when I was still married to my ex and the cost went down, so it should definitely be cheaper if you're the sole occupier (unless you spend ages in the shower every day or something).

They bill half-yearly in some areas, so that will be for the first half of the financial year.

£44, 3 bed semi, 2 bathrooms. 4 adults having a shower everyday, no bath. Dishwasher on three times a week.

There's an interesting thread on this at Money Saving Expert, with a chart comparing the various rates across the country, explaining why some are so high, and suggesting measures to reduce water usage.

The highest rise for 2025 was Southern Water (47%!!!)

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2024/12/water-bills-rise-england-wales-2025/

Our problem is the standing charges. (Sewage charge in particular nearly £500). Nearly £700 per year in fixed charges we can't reduce even if we go on a meter. That's not even adding on the actual water!
Yorkshire Water totally refuse to check their figures. They say "It's based on rateable value done decades ago that can't be challenged."
Should a 3 bed ex council property really generate such high standing charges?
I think not. Other more affluent properties nearby paying a lot less. Anybody else had this issue.

Now it’s about £65-70 a month, 4 adults. Southern Water.

Yes, but aren't you worried that Scotland will run out of water due to climate change? I think you had hosepipe bans this year.

Don't you think that it is irresponsible not to install water meters to preserve water?

£157 per month

£41 per month which I'm shocked at tbh - 4 bed house but only me living there at the moment. One shower per day, no dishwasher, max two washing machine loads a week, don't water the garden. I think the bill comes from the previous 6 months when my son was living there too - twice the showers and toilet flushes - but it's never been below £35 a month. Severn Trent/Anglian

That is exactly what pisses me off - they have a total monopoly in your area so nothing you can do about it!

£100.
3 of us. One teen with SEN who has long showers, creates lots of kitchen mess for the dishwasher and changes clothes a lot. Lots of gym kit needing constant washing too.

Kent has regular hosepipe bans as well, or used to . What's the connection with water meters?

You are right that water shortage should be of concern to everyone, including the people of Scotland.
And that's why I try and not be wasteful with my water use.
My concern with water meters is that as usual it is the people who have the lowest incomes who are hit by them. Those with higher incomes have the money to be still be wasteful with their water usage. The rich and the very rich can afford to pay fines for breaking hosepipe bans.

This is what I can't understand. We are Southern water and paying £160 now for 4 adults.
Is your price after the 41% price rise introduced?

Yes - I had the same worry that once they trap you in they can just raise the value, but it does look staggered for household use. I thought it was going to be more expensive to be on a meter because they'd somehow charge for the use of their "expertise" to use tech to get an accurate reading etc, then any disturbance to the house - drilling, being home or whatever that might be needed to install.

I'm more annoyed about the sewage releases into local rivers and the sea we are paying for while the CEO's get profits and bonuses every year while they don't repair the system because the fines are so measly they're happy to pay the fines. Walking in our town you can smell it in the rivers just upstream of a local playground. We have to have social scientists collecting data of what is in the river to hold them to account! It's all crazy when just a few guys in a boardroom have multiple properties and luxury yachts at our expense.

Mine is £30 per month and there are 2 of us living in the house.