Water bill anyone?

[Sargeant Orange]

An increase of 35% has just landed on the mat. £80pm up to £108pm.

Consider my flabber gasted.

Wondering if a meter would be sensible as its only 3 of us bumbling around a 5 bed house. Anyone switched to a meter recently?

[barryrs]

My wife and I are on a meter in a 4-bed with modern flow restricted fittings, and our bills pre price increase are £24 a month!

[normalbloke]

We’re on a meter. 2 of us in a 4 bed house. £100 pa, but we don’t pay for sewage.

[Actual]

Sargeant Orange said:

An increase of 35% has just landed on the mat. £80pm up to £108pm.

Water bills are rising from April 2025 so does your bill even include the increase?

We are a 4 bed house with 2 adults.

If we didn't have a water meter then based on ratable value our annual bill with Thames Water would be £903.81.

With a water meter I take a reading on the first of the month and I get an updated bill and it works out £400 for the year.

I would love Thames Water to fit a water smart meter.

[M1AGM]

Just a heads up for anyone who might not know this.

Water bills normally include a charge for surface water drainage. Its worth checking (particularly if you are in a new build and/or in the countryside) if your rainwater goes to the main sewer or if it is separated into a soakaway. My previous house was a new build with this setup. This means you do not have to pay for surface water drainage, and the rebate can be backdated (up to 7 years iirc). The water company will send someone round to check (because they dont like giving money back) so you cant billy bullst the setup. Hope this helps someone.

[Athlon]

Our water bill was £96 a month. This year United Utilities came round and told us we were getting a meter regardless. To be fair they told us they would charge us the cheaper of the two bills for two years and then we could decide.

I forgot about it until I checked my accounts the other day. The bill has dropped from £96 to an ave £30 a month!

Three bed semi with 2 occupants.

So If I was you I would absolutely look into it, I feel a bit daft for pushing back against it for so long..I could have saved a fortune.

[RichB]

M1AGM said:

Just a heads up for anyone who might not know this.

Water bills normally include a charge for surface water drainage. Its worth checking (particularly if you are in a new build and/or in the countryside) if your rainwater goes to the main sewer or if it is separated into a soakaway. My previous house was a new build with this setup. This means you do not have to pay for surface water drainage, and the rebate can be backdated (up to 7 years iirc). The water company will send someone round to check (because they don't like giving money back) so you cant Billy bullst the setup. Hope this helps someone.

Another money saving tip, we are keen gardeners and so our water usage is higher in summer than winter but because the increase goes on the garden it doesn't go down the drain and so I got a 40% reduction on the waste water part of my bill. We are supplied drinking water and billed by South East Water but sewage is by Thames Water and I hate Thames Water so anything I can do to avoid giving them money pleases me.

Edited by RichB on Saturday 8th March 19:03

[Sheepshanks]

RichB said:

Another money saving tip, we are keen gardeners and so our water usage is higher in summer than winter but because the increase goes on the garden it doesn't go down the drain and so I got a 50% reduction on the waste water part of my bill. We are supplied drinking water and billed by Southern Water but sewage is by Thames Water and I hate Thames Water so anything I can do to avoid giving them money pleases me.

I’ve heard of that - but water companies usually want the garden tap (or swimming pool etc) to be metered.

Did Thames Water just accept the winter / summer difference?

Supposedly there’s normally 10% allowed for anyway, but it’s done by reducing the per amount charged per cubic metre for waste water charge.

[RichB]

Sheepshanks said:

RichB said:

Another money saving tip, we are keen gardeners and so our water usage is higher in summer than winter but because the increase goes on the garden it doesn't go down the drain and so I got a 40% reduction on the waste water part of my bill. We are supplied drinking water and billed by South East Water but sewage is by Thames Water and I hate Thames Water so anything I can do to avoid giving them money pleases me.

I’ve heard of that - but water companies usually want the garden tap (or swimming pool etc) to be metered. Did Thames Water just accept the winter / summer difference? Supposedly there’s normally 10% allowed for anyway, but it’s done by reducing the per amount charged per cubic meter for waste water charge.

I am on a meter so I was able to show significant difference between the winter usage and summer usage. I see a reduction (known as a Waste Water Abatement WWA) on my invoice (6 monthly) I did it via email with South East Water because they handle the billing.

Edited by RichB on Saturday 8th March 19:05

[Sheepshanks]

RichB said:

I am on a meter so I was able to show significant difference between the winter usage and summer usage. I see a rebate on my invoice (6 monthly) I did it via email with South East Water because they handle the billing.

Thanks - I wouldn’t routinely be bothered but we had a new lawn a couple of years ago and our water use for a couple of mths was immense. I just looked at our utility company - United Utilities and they suggest they’ ll only do it for an installed irrigation system, and that they assess by sq metres covered.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Saturday 8th March 22:27

[outnumbered]

M1AGM said:

Just a heads up for anyone who might not know this.

Water bills normally include a charge for surface water drainage. Its worth checking (particularly if you are in a new build and/or in the countryside) if your rainwater goes to the main sewer or if it is separated into a soakaway. My previous house was a new build with this setup. This means you do not have to pay for surface water drainage, and the rebate can be backdated (up to 7 years iirc). The water company will send someone round to check (because they dont like giving money back) so you cant billy bullst the setup. Hope this helps someone.

That's very interesting. Our house has a soakaway so I will look into applying for this. I had no idea...

[snuffy]

Athlon said:

Our water bill was £96 a month. This year United Utilities came round and told us we were getting a meter regardless. To be fair they told us they would charge us the cheaper of the two bills for two years and then we could decide.

I forgot about it until I checked my accounts the other day. The bill has dropped from £96 to an ave £30 a month!

Three bed semi with 2 occupants.

So If I was you I would absolutely look into it, I feel a bit daft for pushing back against it for so long..I could have saved a fortune.

We are also with UU; 3 bedroom house, 2 adults (so just like you). We've always had a meter (late 90s house, so it will have been installed from the start) and ours is also around £30 a month (billed every 6 months).

[mrmistoffelees]

Welsh Water, 5 bedroom house with 2 adults, 9 year old that has 45 minute showers (ffs) and an 18 month old. Water bills have just gone up to 50 quid a month from 44.

[i4got]

Left south east water last month after about 20 years. Merered £25 a month 2 adults 5 bed house.

Now with severn trent and awaiting first bill.

[51mes]

One question to all of you with a meter,

The original bumpf for them suggested you would have an easily read dial, now my meter for my last house, my current place and both of my rental properties were out in the street & to read it yourself you have to lift the cover to see the meter...

I could try to lift the cover, but doing it on the pavement in the street seems a little odd... Wha do folks do...

As was said a smart meter for the water would be great....

S.

[Quattr04.]

I really don’t get the massive drama over having a water meter, just pay for what you use? We do it for gas and electric so why is water different?

I think my water bill with Welsh water is about £34 a month for 2 adults who like at least 3/4 baths a week and wash the car regularly etc.

It’s cheaper than the broadband

[snuffy]

51mes said:

One question to all of you with a meter,

Mine is under the kitchen sink. I have to remove the endless bin bags, shoe polish and assorted cleaning stuff so the chap can read it, but it's only once every 6 months, maybe even 12 now.

[stemll]

We always had a meter in the verge. When the reader from Anglian turned up he was always carrying a battery powered pump to drain it so he could read it. I never read it.

Sometime last year they installed smart meters. Last month I got an estimated bill so the smart meters are clearly working well then

[Sheepshanks]

snuffy said:

Mine is under the kitchen sink. I have to remove the endless bin bags, shoe polish and assorted cleaning stuff so the chap can read it, but it's only once every 6 months, maybe even 12 now.

Ours is read by some kind of wireless reader. I haven't looked at it for years.

We used to get bills every 6 mths, but a few mths ago United Utilities starting emailing us with our monthly usage. I was led to believe that they need to be at the front door to take the reading and I can't believe they come every month so maybe there's some other way of reading it. Or the "monthly" usage figure isn't true and they're guesstimating them.

[Turtle Shed]

Quattr04. said:

I really don’t get the massive drama over having a water meter, just pay for what you use? We do it for gas and electric so why is water different?

I see it as something that should be based on the value of our property, like Council Tax is and water rates were. It isn't as if water is generally in short supply and yes the water companies have costs and work to do, but the stuff falls from the sky. Gas and electricity are very difference to water in that respect.

Also, people surely just use the amount of water they need. Yes, some might have more baths than showers and do more washing, but other than watering a lawn for hours on end (which can be addressed with hosepipe bans), I can't think of a reason why people would use more water because it was supplied for a flat fee.