water butts - why so expensive? How can I get a cheap one?

[yogabird]

Just had our water bill from SW Water - arghh! It included an offer for water butts at 'cut prices' but they were £60!!! Is this what I will have to pay? Anyone know of another, cheaper source that they would like to share?

our district council (in association with thames water) sells them for £40 here - does your local council offer a similar scheme?

We can get them cheaper at our local tip recycling centre. If you have one near you it might be worth a try. I also got one at my local garden centre for £20 inc stand (they got a job lot in) and I have another one which I got on freecycle. You have to do a lot of rooting around but you can get them cheaper - I think they are ridiculously overpriced too.

btw - we are SW water too - great aren't they

thanks. will search a bit, SW water are the most expensive in the country - we have to pay for all of our beaches to be kept lovely for our visitors

If you're not worried what it looks like, try your local sanitation / janitorial firms, they often have huge tubs that you can use to collect water and they often give them for nothing.

B&Q selling them for £20 instore today

thanks everyone, sorry to post and go, as i did, have only just checked the replies again. Dh did well by obtaining a large blue barrel free from a building site but it will need a tap unless we saw off the top and scoop out the water - anyone any bright ideas on that?
will also look on B&Q nut am liking the free thing...greener, or is it just me being meaner?