water meters..

[sara3]

I've just had my first bill since my meter was fitted, and was expecting a big saving.. but no! it says that between June-Oct I have used 51 cubic metres.

there is only myself and my daughter here full time, and my son part time (and I can't get him to wash anyway!). the (slimline) dishwasher is used every other day, the washing machine a couple of times a week, we shower (briefly) every day. I barely even use the kettle. (not because I can't afford to, I just drink cold drinks) the house is empty during the week while I'm at work.

does this seem like a big bill? could I have a water leak that I don't know about?

[The Builder]

......Sara.................have a look where they fitted the meter.............in the pavement outside your house.........lift the little cover and take a note of the reading in the morning..........then again when you come home home.
That should give you some idea as to whether you have a leak......................crude, I know........but worth a shot :o)

[Ethel]

The average is 60 cubic metres per person per year- so that is 120 per year for two people.

That works out at 10 cubic metres per month and you seem to have been billed for 51 cubic meters for 5 months, with a third person part time.

It seems you are doing well.

[mrs.chappie]

Sara, that sounds like a huge bill to me. Your circumstances are similar to mine. I don't know off-hand how many cubic metres I use, but my monthly payment is around ten pounds.

It's a big saving on what I was paying prior to having a meter installed.

[gina32]

since i moved ive had a water meter and looking at mu bill realise that i pay more for standing charge, seage and so on than for teh amount of water that i actually use.

[theonlyone]

We've been on a meter for years and only 2 in
the house ,no dishwasher but washing machine
used a lot and the shower ..ours is about 62 cm
so i would think yours is ok ..

[Ethel]

I've worked it out that your house is using less than 80 gallons of water per day.
The average in the UK is 60 to 70 gallons per person so you are doing very well.

[sara3]

thank you all. Builder, I'll do that.. thanks. if I have a leak I'm not sure how I would know.. oh, I guess if it goes up whilst we're all out.. gotcha!

my bill says 1 cubic metre is equal to 30 standard showers.. so it still seems high to me.

theonlyone.. is that bill for a year? my reading is just for 4 months.

it's certainly more expensive than before the meter was fitted!

[sara3]

thank you Ethel.. but I still can't see how we're using more than the average, even if it is marginal.

[gina32]

just checked my bill and we, 2 of us, used 80 cubic metres for 6 months!!!!

[sara3]

wow, Gina.. it seems so much!

and I didn't even water the garden this year.

that's it, no more showers in this house.. I can't see that I can cut back anywhere else!

[Ethel]

Sara - you are using far less that the average - the average I quoted was per person, and you are using little more than that for 2/3 people.

You are using less than Gina, seemingly. Gina is using 13.3 cm per month; you are using 10.2

[sara3]

oh, got it Ethel.. thanks!

maybe it's not so bad after all.. I just expected to see a big reduction in my bills.

[gina32]

sara if you dont mind me asking, how much was your bill??

[gina32]

i have a dishwasher on every other day and washing machine once a week

[theonlyone]

sara it's for 6 months ...then we pay 95%
for waste water (sewerage) so it was a lot
cheaper than on the old system .

[sara3]

according to this, I should use about 91 cubic metres a year, not 51 in 4 months!

http://www.3valleys.co.uk/home/reckoner/reckon er.php?in_water_co=TVW&in_sewage_co=Thames&in_ num_in_house=2&in_usage_type=Low

my bill is �44.64 for water (June - Oct)
�13.50 standing charge (01/10/08 - 31/03/09)
sewerage �26.48 (June - Oct)
�22.50 standing charge (01/10/08 - 31/03/09)

a total of �107. 12

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, So whats the benefit of having a water meter fitted? ...

[sara3]

hmmm... that's what I was wondering!

[mrs.chappie]

Sara, I have just found my annual statement. I have used 24 cubic metres in 10 months! And the figures are actual readings, not estimated.

We get showers rather than baths, and we sometimes flush the loo with water from the garden butt. My washing machine is run about 4 times a week, and my dishwasher 3 or 4 times a week.

The figures Ethel's quoted are very high compared to my usage - the Water Board has given us an estimated figure of usage which is 30 cubic metres per year. And that's not per person, that's the total household usage.

The Water Board has given us a projected total for a year's water - �144.00.

If we were paying based on rateable value, we would pay �580 per year.

[sara3]

thanks mrs.c. I do think I have a problem here, and I'm hoping it's not an underground pipe leaking that I'm liable for.