How much is your water bill?

[Kenai]

A full audit of where every penny has gone, followed by complete shutdown of every single expense which isn't 100% required for the operation of the company.

Much like the actual physical leakage problem, you'd find yourself spending more trying to fix the leaks than the leaks are actually costing in most of those cases.

The biggest drains can be grabbed relatively easily but trying to track down every pound and penny that might be 'misspent' will never be economical enough to bother doing.

 

[dymetrie]

Anglian water, here.

Last November our monthly amount (4 bed house, 2 adults, 2 children/teens) went from £56-£74.

No huge spike in usage (around 150m3/year), but a nice jump in unit rate and standing charge.

The big problem with privatisation of water is absolutely the change from investing in the network, to paying shareholders. So many leaks and issues across the network (not to mention the amount of sewerage 'accidents') because funds that should have gone into maintaining, upgrading and modernising the network, particularly in light of increased homebuilding putting extra strain on antiquated mains systems, have gone into shareholder pockets.

And then the water companies have the cheek to argue against the regulator's limits because their years of underinvestment means that they need to fleece their customers to fix their flagrant disregard for doing their actual job!

 

[Nasher]

Water bill is just extortionate now.

I did get quite some money back by "finding a leak" If they want to be pirates, I'll be a Shark.

We really need switching like with other utilities to create competition. Or it needs to go back in to public ownership.

 

[StonedPenguin]

£40/month, unmetered - Seven trent water.

 

[Kenai]

We really need switching like with other utilities to create competition.

Add in a middle man for billing that wants to skim their own slice of profit too, whilst the water comes from the exact same place it did before, that'll definitely work.

Probably the cleverest thing the energy market ever did to be fair, let the public think they're getting competitive offers with the facade of different billing companies whilst all the big money making is hidden away behind the scenes where it isn't obvious.

 

[fez]

Just got our latest bill and its £520/6 months. Thats ******* outrageous. We are in a 3 bedroom house and there are 4 of us. Two small children who have a bath most days which they share. I shower probably 5 times a week and my partner baths probably 3-4 times a week. We run the dishwasher most days and probably do a load of washing per day on average.

Thats about as much as we spend on gas/electricity for 8 months of the year. Its bloody water. We live in a wet country. I know they need to treat and process water and waste but its ridiculous. Utilities in this country are an absolute scam.

 

[bigmike20vt]

3 bed house, 2 adults, 1 almost 10 year old and our 1/4ly is now well over £200. i would say its doubled in the last 12 months

my wife showers daily (and she does take a while), I shower once or twice a week (no not poor hygene, i shower at the swimming pool as well 3x a week - may as well use their water and energy - i pay enough for my membership! ) and the lad showers every other day or more depending on what he has been up to.
dishwasher goes on 4x a week and the washing machine probably half a dozen loads a week

according to the app we are heavy users however in the top 25% of similar users for our area. I do try not to waste water but dunno where it goes.... its not a leak either, our smart meter shows periods of zero use over night.
I do regret getting a new smart meter. it would seem perhaps our old smart meter was under reporting our use significantly as our use has shot up on the new meter - apparently not uncommon for some of the very 1st "mechanical" smart meters to under report (I have no idea how they work tbh).

 

[Nasher]

Add in a middle man for billing that wants to skim their own slice of profit too, whilst the water comes from the exact same place it did before, that'll definitely work.

Probably the cleverest thing the energy market ever did to be fair, let the public think they're getting competitive offers with the facade of different billing companies whilst all the big money making is hidden away behind the scenes where it isn't obvious.

That's how it works for business property and water is dirt cheap for them...

The whole thing is a cartel. We never signed a contract with a water company, yet we have to pay one (not of our choice). Or else they can send debt collectors to claim for something we never signed a contract for.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

£60 a month, but I watered the garden most of the year. It’ll likely drop back down to £30 or so next time.

 

[moogle]

£26 to £53, this was after an increase earlier in the year from £20 - £26, which I thought was the actual rise! With Thames Water, who should have gone bankrupt by now. Really peed me off as we had a meter installed years back to reduce the costs (as well as they forced us to get one). Decided to change my billing to be on receipt of the bill every 6 months so they can wait for the money instead of having it trickle in monthly.

 

[do_ron_ron]

Get a meter.

Everyone should have a meter and pay for what they use, it also stops you wasting it.

Two person house here, twenty odd quid a month iirc.

No meter, no private owned, no extraction of funds to shareholders and others.

 

[GIBURROWS]

£26 to £53, this was after an increase earlier in the year from £20 - £26, which I thought was the actual rise! With Thames Water, who should have gone bankrupt by now. Really peed me off as we had a meter installed years back to reduce the costs (as well as they forced us to get one). Decided to change my billing to be on receipt of the bill every 6 months so they can wait for the money instead of having it trickle in monthly.

Yeah but think of how much better quality water you're going to get going from £26 to £53!!!!

Peckham spring.