Off topic - Water meter charges

Zebedee · Apr 6, 2015

I'm looking for some guidance from the sages of life on NSC so any comments would be appreciated please.

We've been on a water meter for around a month now, so being a tight wad by nature I thought I'd check how we were doing cost wise compared with our previous rateable bill of £53 a month. We've significantly cut down some of our water consumption during the past four weeks (no long showers or big baths, use of hose etc) so I smugly figured we'd be well within £53 a month (perhaps around £30) but to my shock it seems our first monthly bill is likely to be over £45 a month when the standing charges are taken into account; and this is just for two people in a semi detached house.

Does anyone else on her have any experience of charges with a water meter? Are they really as high as it would seem? I've no doubt that we'd be spending more than £53 a month under metered charges if we hadn't been trying to economise, which beggars belief. I shudder to think how much the average sized family is having to fork out once they are past the two year period for which Southern Water allow an "adjustment" to be made to bills to smooth the transition to metered charging.

As far as I'm concerned, the Water Companies appear to be just as bad as EDF Scottish Power et al - and yet there's been little, if any, public criticism that I've seen to date.

catfish · Apr 7, 2015

I live on my own and my metered bill for the last 6 months came to £160 - £50 was actual usage and the rest was for wastewater drainage etc.

Baldseagull · Apr 7, 2015

Since having a water meter fitted, we saved money, about half what we were paying. If you can get to the meter to read it easily, check it before you go out for the day, and check it again when you come back, you might have a leak somewhere. Check the toilet cistern is shutting off and not overflowing, likewise for your cold water storage tank if you have one.

Don't let the tap run whilst brushing your teeth, get a dishwasher, put aerators on your taps, stick a brick in your cistern, get a water butt for the garden. My top tip is, bake your morning dump till you get to work, saves water, and if you are on the clock you get paid for having a shit, bonus points if you can bake it till you hit overtime.

gregbrighton · Apr 7, 2015

I live on my own and was advised by Southern Water because I am in 'band A' that I shouldn't opt for a water meter because it would be £5-6 more a month. So I didn't.

surrey jim · Apr 7, 2015

Check the reference number on your meter matches the same as your bill. A colleague had an error with her bill whereby southern water had her and her neighbours meters mixed up.

Mr Bridger · Apr 7, 2015

30% of your water is flushed down the loo, so don't use it as a bin for wipes! cotton buds etc.
Turn your wc's into dual flush if they are not already.
Put a piece of toilet paper at the back of the pan to see if it gets wet as some cisterns internally overflow.
Put a shower restricter on your hose if not electric.
A lot of water is wasted, if your heat source ( boiler or cylinder) is far away from your exit points. If it's not then ignore the advise of getting a dishwasher.
Don't overfill the kettle.
Fit aerators or tap restricter so to your taps.
Get a shower timer.
Get a water butt
If external meter, shut water off at main stop tap inside and check meter is still not spinning.
Take regular readings, so you can work out what is costing the most.
Check with your water company to see if they have different rates for disadvantaged people ( not suggesting you are) disabilities, low income etc.
You can get water saving devices here. www.watertwo.co.uk

mothy · Apr 7, 2015

Family of four paid $30 - $35 a month. We've had a meter for 2 months & our bill has gone up to $70 - $75!!

I'm v pleased to have the meter (that I didn't ask for)

Mr Bridger · Apr 7, 2015

mothy said:
Family of four paid $30 - $35 a month. We've had a meter for 2 months & our bill has gone up to $70 - $75!!

I'm v pleased to have the meter (that I didn't ask for)

Compulsory metering will be the norm. Simple fact is we waste water and take it for granted, so the fairest way is to pay for what you use.
It's not hard to do with a few gadgets here and there, but mainly attitude and educating people.

Being on a meter is not about what you use, it's about what you waste.

jackanada · Apr 7, 2015

They are currently racing to hit their target for metering properties. The only advantage of this is that if you don't want a meter they won't bother if it's going to take more than 20 minutes to fit.

Greyrun · Apr 7, 2015

Two people living in a detached house and never had a yearly bill exceeding £250.

Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo! · Apr 7, 2015

We switched to metered water exactly three years ago; drinking water is supplied by Thames, waste and surface drainage is down to the anti-Christ that is Southern.

There's normally just the two of us now; our house is old with a couple of power showers, bath and three toilets. We undertake a fair amount of garden watering from late June until September for which I have water-butt capacity of 670 litres; this lasts 10 days max in mid-summer and is supplemented by a garden hose linked to the mains supply.

Last year we used an annual average of 0.38 cubic metres per day which cost £554 in total, comprising £206 (Thames) and £348 (Southern). Had we still been billed on a rateable value basis then the overall bill would have been £950 (£383:£567) so we saved £396 (42%).

Our water usage has dropped regularly since the meter was installed; in year one we used 0.65 cubic metres per day but since then our 'Daily 20 minute minimum power shower' daughter has moved out and we've expanded our water butt capacity by x3 to 670 litres. We also hope to use (hose) the water from our well for garden watering this year; I've been flushing this automatically with a submersed pump all winter in order to remove/dilute a ground seepage of central heating oil that the previous owner ignored for years.

My advice is to monitor your consumption over a longer period, read your meter regularly to check for any leeks - as others have said toilet cisterns and tank overflows are regular culprits. External leeks do happen, our neighbour's was due to a faulty meter installation so check the section from meter to stop cock; to do this I'd shut down the CH and hot water the next time you're away on holiday or for the weekend, then turn off the stop cock. Read the meter before you leave and on return - simples. Finally, if it's still seems a high usage then chuck out your partner and/or kids.

Diablo · Apr 7, 2015

£1.50 day sounds good value to me............

Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo! · Apr 7, 2015

Diablo said:
£1.50 day sounds good value to me............

Yeh, a snip for the essential in life......................but more than I spend on logs though.

Westdene Seagull · Apr 7, 2015

gregbrighton said:
I live on my own and was advised by Southern Water because I am in 'band A' that I shouldn't opt for a water meter because it would be £5-6 more a month. So I didn't.

That's a strange bit of advice they gave you then as generally the lower the number of people in a property the more likely you to be better off on a meter. Also I'm suprised they allowed you say no as it is now compulsory within the Southern Water region to take a water meter if they wish you to have one ( with a few exceptions ).

Worthingite · Apr 7, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
That's a strange bit of advice they gave you then as generally the lower the number of people in a property the more likely you to be better off on a meter. Also I'm suprised they allowed you say no as it is now compulsory within the Southern Water region to take a water meter if they wish you to have one ( with a few exceptions ).

It is compulsory. I used to work on the Billing team at sw. To be honest the OP's situation sounds almost identical to hundreds of people that I have spoken to. A water meter is going to benefit single people or couples. That's it. RV was incredibly generous to families because the RV itself hadn't been amended since 1990, it's only increases were for inflation. Thousands of families are going to be shocked by their bills, that said, SW are phasing metered bills in over a 3 year period if a customer wants that- you should have had a letter through your door about it. Give them a call if you haven't is my advice.

Lush · Apr 7, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
That's a strange bit of advice they gave you then as generally the lower the number of people in a property the more likely you to be better off on a meter. Also I'm suprised they allowed you say no as it is now compulsory within the Southern Water region to take a water meter if they wish you to have one ( with a few exceptions ).

I managed to avoid having one (small house with two teenage daughters meant I wasn't keen) and just ignored all the letters, but finally a slightly more threatening one arrived. Fortunately, when the fitter arrived, he informed us that we've got the wrong kind of taps/mains tap or summat for a meter.

gregbrighton · Apr 8, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
That's a strange bit of advice they gave you then as generally the lower the number of people in a property the more likely you to be better off on a meter. Also I'm suprised they allowed you say no as it is now compulsory within the Southern Water region to take a water meter if they wish you to have one ( with a few exceptions ).

I will ask my neighbours in the block how much their bills are.

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Apr 8, 2015

Zebedee said:
I'm looking for some guidance from the sages of life on NSC so any comments would be appreciated please.

We've been on a water meter for around a month now, so being a tight wad by nature I thought I'd check how we were doing cost wise compared with our previous rateable bill of £53 a month. We've significantly cut down some of our water consumption during the past four weeks (no long showers or big baths, use of hose etc) so I smugly figured we'd be well within £53 a month (perhaps around £30) but to my shock it seems our first monthly bill is likely to be over £45 a month when the standing charges are taken into account; and this is just for two people in a semi detached house.

Does anyone else on her have any experience of charges with a water meter? Are they really as high as it would seem? I've no doubt that we'd be spending more than £53 a month under metered charges if we hadn't been trying to economise, which beggars belief. I shudder to think how much the average sized family is having to fork out once they are past the two year period for which Southern Water allow an "adjustment" to be made to bills to smooth the transition to metered charging.

As far as I'm concerned, the Water Companies appear to be just as bad as EDF Scottish Power et al - and yet there's been little, if any, public criticism that I've seen to date.

That sounds very high for two people.

We have a water meter, use the washing machine and dishwasher on a daily basis and we pay £38.00/month

carlzeiss · Apr 8, 2015

After having a water meter fitted last year our next bill showed a 22% increase in cost . :annoyed:

Notters · Apr 8, 2015

Ours was £20/month for two people in a flat, with regular dishwasher use etc... Have you got a leak?

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