Water bills / useage

[roshi42]

Water bill keeps going up and up and up… it’s just mad. I assume because the water companies are thieving b*stards and have taken all our money in bonuses for decades without any investment back into the infrastructure and are passing on the costs of works to the public now they’re being forced to do them. 10 years ago I paid £25 a month, now they’re suggesting £100 😮

I have a standard 2 bed terrace house, don’t do any gardening, just me and my toddler - so 2 people total. Yes, my useage has increased since having the baby, with the laundry and baths, but I’m wondering if I have a leak somewhere or something - I just don’t see how I can be using that much!

Can anyone else share their useage figures? My bill says I’m using approx. 300 litres a day which is apparently above average.

Family of five using 512l. Yes, I think you are a very high user or more probably have a leak.

There are tests you can do by turning off the stop cock and seeing if the meter still spins, but I've never done it, so have no practical advice.

Do you bath or shower? Do you use a dishwasher (recommended for water saving)? How many laundry loads a week? Any visible running in your toilet or dripping taps?

A quick look around water company websites found instructions on how to find a leak. This is one of them:

https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/leaks/leak-test/is-there-a-leak-inside-your-home/

I'm pretty sure if you speak to the water company in your area they will also be helpful. Anglian used to be very good with this stuff.

We have a smart meter which reports usage by the hour. A couple of times we've left a tap dripping while away for a week. Same usage around the clock so it looked like a leak. They emailed us within days to let us know.

Thank you - that’s a really helpful link. I’ll have a look for my water meter!

Thanks for responding. I shower, toddler has baths, but neither of us every single day tbh - most days but not all. Use a dishwasher and keep hand washing up to a minimum as I hate it anyway. I’d say we do run the dishwasher and washing machine daily for each on average… although not at the weekends. I’m not a low user of water but I can’t see I would be especially high either tbh.

I’ve emailed South East water to flag it and ask their advice!

I’ll feel like a mug if I’ve been paying for a leak for ages…

@roshi42 if you do have a leak check out what the company say about leak allowances.

Have a look at your water meter and see if it's moving while nothing is running. If so, then yes you've potentially got a problem. In that case, follow the route of any pipework in your property, does it smell musty in any areas, any signs of mould on walls, insects or evidence of a slug in any area.

It can feel like a con. I have reduced my usage, and my last bill even had a note saying "well done" and to "keep going", yet my bill was still up 40% from my last bill (I get billed twice a year).

If you have a leak you can sometimes get an allowance - they meaaure usage when the leaks fixed and then work out what the leak was costing to take off the next bill. Best to ring them soon as.

I've worked really hard to get out water bill down and it's still £160 a month, that's for us and 3 teens. All very sporty so lots of washing and a shower every day but it is just so high, plus the standing charges.

I also think 300 is very high. Average for two people according to my most recent bill is 269.
ironically our consumption is down massively as Dd away at university, but bill is higher. Thank you South West Water and the 30% increase in charges.

I had a reply from south east water… saying good news! Your useage is exactly what we expect and our prices have gone up. Right yes, very good news… I’ll do the water meter check asap

ours Is 25 a month 5 adults and 3 children but we’re on a welfare tariff set price it would be 50 otherwise - Thames water

Ours is about £50 a month with two adults, three teens and a small pond that DH keeps topped up. Washer and dishwasher on every day and a teen that likes to sing in the shower.

We pay £65 per month for 3 adults and live in an expensive area for water.

If you have had a leak for a while it may be why it hasn’t flagged.

If it’s a full sized dishwasher I’m surprised you fill it daily.

Same with a load of laundry daily. Only time we did that was with 6 of us teens/adults or when I used washable nappies full time so every third day was a nappy wash.

Is it an actual reading or an estimate? Take a reading.

Do you pay by direct debit?
The only problem with test method is the variables. They base their estimate of future consumption on your past consumption. When you couple that with a price increase per cubic metre and any debt you are carrying from a previous bill it adds up.

Test for leaks by turning off the internal stop tap then going out to the meter and see if the dials still turn. If it does then it's somewhere between the metre and the house. If the dials stop then it's inside.

If it's inside then it's likely to be a dripping tap, washing machine or dishwasher hose or toilet cistern...and is a job for a competent DIYer or plumber.

If it's outside then check if your water company offers a free repair or even just a leak detection service.

Get any leaks repaired then apply for a leak allowance. If you receive a sewerage bill you will also get an adjustment on that.

Going forward you can get gadgets that reduce water consumption.

I’m also with SE water @roshi42 , 3 adults in a 4 bed detached and ours has just gone up to £71 per month so yours does seem pretty high .

Going on that info, i would say its about right

I’m being charged over £50 per month. On a special tariff because they can’t fit a water meter in my very old rented house. Just me and 14 year old DD. We both have multiple mental health issues, mine meaning that I cannot work. Nothing whatsoever I can do about them charging so much. I guess I should take that ridiculous rate because the bathroom tap is constantly running and has been for 5 of our almost 11 years here and my landlord won’t repair it because “it’s still functional”.

Report to your water company and they can put pressure on your landlord to repair or may even be able to repair for you. Water is a precious resource and it’s not ok that it’s literally running away 24/7. Contact your water company and ask for help. They have a vulnerability team and will help you

My water company have a nasty habit of basing bills on estimated use which is always way over our actual use and not based on any previous usage.

We can't have a meter (apparently) so get charged £100 a month, thats up from £35 6 years ago! It is quite frankly a ridiculous con as no matter how much or little we use we pay the same. I think there needs to be a lot more regulation as water is one of the most basic essentials.

if you do laundry daily - do you use quick washing cycles? they usually use a lot more water thsn longer ones. same for dishwasher.
check the manual.

That seems a lot. Me plus ds17 use 150 litres per day. I pay about £500 a year.

Are you on a Social Tariff:

https://www.ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/help-with-bills/#social-tariffs

Speak to the water company and ensure you're on the best tariff.

I think I'm right in saying that where fitting a meter was impossible Anglian Water had a tariff that used an estimate of what you'd pay with a meter based on number of taps etc in your home.