Water meter costs

[Tizzybudd]

Hi - moved house 4 months ago and have inherited a water meter. We have just received our first bill covering 2 1/2 months and it was for £226 (this is roughly the equivalent of our water bill for a year in the old house)

We have obviously queried this and been told that Southern Water will investigate, but wondered what an average quarterly bill should be for a family of 4?

Look forward to any thoughts on this!

TIA Tizzy

[Nosha123]

OUCH!!!! that sounds a lot!!!
We are a house of two adults.... and pay £35 a month... I would be very very surprised if you could use £226 of water in 2 months.. unless you have been filling up and emptying your swimming pool lots!!! ;-0

[Nosha123]

have you looked on the bill to see how much water they say you have used

If the bill is correct - I would say it points to a leak somewhere!!!!

[Tizzybudd]

Swimming pool - I wish........ Just the usual washing machine, dishwasher and shower-obsessed teenage son! Guess we'll just have to wait and see!

thanks Tizzy

[redman41]

Have the previous owners given a Final reading to the WaterBoard as you may have inherited their last 6 months Water Charges if they haven't......

[ethandron]

crikey, it does sound a lot! we had a meter fitted in february this year (hence the water butts) and reckon our annual bill will be less than £400. there are only 2 of us, but even so, if you double that for 4 it still works out annually a lot cheaper than you, yours will be over £1,000.

[Tizzybudd]

Redman - yup - bill runs from the day we moved in.....

Nosha - if there is a leak are we responsible for it do you know?

[redcrx]

depends where the leak is. it may be on the meter, in which case they will replace. A dripping tap would be your responsibility

[cassa333]

It would depend on where the leak was.

If it is outside your property then it is the responsibility of the water company but if it is inside then it is up to you to fix.

If there is a leak then it could be after the meter in which case it may well be on your side.

OR they may have got their fidures wrong.

[Nosha123]

yeah as redcrx says - they will need to investigate where the leak is - if on your land.. you will be liable I think...
If you moved in 4 months ago - do you not have any bills for the first 1 1/2 months?? To compare to.

[Nosha123]

they could easily have got their figures wrong too!

I gave EDF a reading over the phone once for our leccy... and the woman entered the figures in the wrong boxes - next bill stated I was £900 in credit!!!

Cant get the staff these days eh!

[Tizzybudd]

Thanks all - guess we'll just have to wait and see what the "Investigative Operative" comes up with...

[Old_Geezer]

Water meters are the work of the devil. If it is wrong now, it won't be when enough have jumped on the bandwagon and they can make it compulsory to have one. No incentive to attract with lower prices then.

[deggers316]

did you take a reading from the meter when you moved in?? it should have been paid by the previous tenants up to that what was on, from that one what's the one they have read it at or as it been estimated you can then look at the charges for the amount you use,

[Buenchico]

According Southern Water's own website, the estimated ANNUAL metered water bill for a family of 4, using water for all the usual purposes (such as personal hygiene) plus watering the garden, washing the car and using a dishwasher is £572.47. That equates to £143.12 per quarter:
https://www.southernw...s/wouldYouBenefit.asp

Metered water bills vary widely, depending upon whether or not people follow water-saving measures (such as only flushing the loo when it's really necessary and then using the water from their shaving bowl to do so). My own bill (for just me, with no dishwasher and using the laundrette rather than a washing machine) averages around £15 per quarter.

Chris

[boxtops]

We've saved a fortune switching to a meter. You can take your own readings and check what's happening - the water people installed ours after i had a major leak that I knew nothing about. We do our own readings quarterly now and submit to the water company so we keep track of what's going on.

[rabbitygirl]

We were paying over the odds in our metered house. But not having had a meter before it was hard to know what we should be paying. The water company contacted us to say they were aware something didn't add up. They automatically changed the meter. Older ones, I was told by the workman, are prone to going wrong but newer ones are much better. Anyway, I had a rebate of about £80 and now pay a more sensible DD.

[kaw69]

I live alone, out from 5am til 7pm. toilet use twice a day, shower 3 times a week dishwash once a week and washer once a week.
If I was at home regularly my bill would be over double the rateable charge.
Had a meter fitted and after 11 months I had only saved £30 per year so I asked them to remove it.
They do not remove meters but revert back to the rateable value for billing and when I sell the house the new owners will be meter billed "neat trick".
It was al the add-ons which made it so high
1. Water used ok
2. Water waste (sewerage) ok
then
3. Rainfall water dispersal excuse me but they charge me for getting rid of the rainfall not ok

Feel sorry for the next owners