Water bills

We had an email from Severn Trent to say that we were going on to metered water, and would be entitled to a refund because we use less water than others in our area. I rang to ask how they know we use less water, and if it was compulsory to have a meter. Apparently we have had a meter fitted since 2023, which is down a hole in the pavement outside our property, and they are metering everybody to try to encourage people to use less water.
A few weeks later they billed us. No refund, but they wanted an extra £555 because we hadn't paid enough. I looked at the meter readings and they had estimated the most ridiculous usage. They had divided it into monthly payments to be paid as usual by direct debit. I cancelled the direct debit immediately and rang to tell them they were not getting a penny till they came up with a realistic bill.
A week later they read the meter and a revised bill arrived that put us £425 in credit. I rang and asked for a refund, which they issued without any argument. The new payments going forward will be half of what we were paying last year.
It was a satisfactory outcome but we could have done without the stress.

We decided to stay on non-metered, but Anglian Water penalise those who do with higher tariff. I called as mine in 3 x my neighbour's and they told m that metered would have saved me just a few pounds.
Point of interest they told me it was based on 1992 valuation of £227K!!! Worth £65K in 1996, I queried with VOA who told me that I could not query this, so I am stuck. The cost is about half of my entire council tax which covers education, police, roads etc etc - how can they justify, when they are still paying dividends?

libra10

There are three of us in our family, and we also use United Utilities for water and sewerage.
Last year's bill was for £942. Our home isn't a high band rating, but it seems unlikely that there would be much saving having a water meter installed. Although, when the bill hits that mat, I usually consider it.

It might be worth trying. There are only 2 of us, but 3 of us for part of every week. Students shower a lot and his washing doubles what we would do. On the other hand, our current yearly bill is less than half yours. Pre meter it used to be nearly £900.
United Utilities have a page explaining the trial period.

If they were doing a good job with all the money they get, it might be more understandable.

But they are not.

Allira

If they were doing a good job with all the money they get, it might be more understandable.

But they are not.

Our water pressure is so low that Mr P has fitted an inline pump.
Cost of pump £300.
We had the water people out to check the pressure. We were told it’s just above the legal level.

They are failing us yet our water rates go up and up.

FranP

We decided to stay on non-metered, but Anglian Water penalise those who do with higher tariff. I called as mine in 3 x my neighbour's and they told m that metered would have saved me just a few pounds.
Point of interest they told me it was based on 1992 valuation of £227K!!! Worth £65K in 1996, I queried with VOA who told me that I could not query this, so I am stuck. The cost is about half of my entire council tax which covers education, police, roads etc etc - how can they justify, when they are still paying dividends?

FranP.

That doesn’t make sense to me but I think I may know what the issue is.

I am talking about the system in England.

Unmetered water rates are based on the rateable value of the property.

The domestic rateable value was the annual rent a property could achieve.

The last time properties were valued en-masse for domestic rates was 1973, so that’s the value water companies use for unmetered customers.

Domestic rates were replaced by council tax in 1993 based on 1991 market valuations - what a house could be sold for.

Obviously, if a property was built after 1973 but-pre council tax, a rateable value would have been assessed but other than that, 1973 rateable values were effectively frozen in 1990 before the valuations for council tax.

For comparison, the rateable value of my house was £372. I bought it in 1983. The Nationwide’s House Price Index says it was worth £106,000 in 1996 (compared to your £65,000).

This isn’t a precise science, of course, but unless something particular happened in your area to deflate property prices, and looking at this purely arithmetically, 65/106 x £372 would give your property a rateable value of £228.

So when you say £227,000, are you mixing up rateable value with market value?

As you are unmetered, the rateable value should be shown on your bill. Does it say 227?

We get our water from Hafren Dyfrdwy which is part of Severn Trent. Our bills for the last 10 years average £120pa for a bungalow with 2 adult occupants.

I forgot to n=mention that we've always been on a metered supply.

We moved from a large house to a two bedroom bungalow, changing water providers in the process. Once the family had moved out of the house a water meter had saved us a lot each year. Querying what seemed to be a huge amount with our new provider I was told their rates were higher. The pleasant call centre person did the sums and advised a water meter would cost us more. It felt and feels wrong somehow as if we’re underpaying but no, we didn’t opt for a meter and won’t unless forced to or just one of us lives here.

Beechnut

A few years ago water meters were fitted in my road to ‘monitor usage’.
I used to pay unmetered for 8 months of the year. Just before Christmas I had a letter to say I didn’t use much water and could be due a refund. Early in the new year said refund dropped into my bank account and they have put me onto metered and given me a much lower monthly bill to pay.

I’m with ST too Wishes and like suzie20 the meter was put into the pavement at the end of my drive.

Wishes

Beechnut

A few years ago water meters were fitted in my road to ‘monitor usage’.
I used to pay unmetered for 8 months of the year. Just before Christmas I had a letter to say I didn’t use much water and could be due a refund. Early in the new year said refund dropped into my bank account and they have put me onto metered and given me a much lower monthly bill to pay.

This applied to me too Beechnut but I don't fully understand it.

Severn Trents email says I already have a water meter fitted to my home. There isn't and has never been one on my actual property.

I've been switched to a measured tarif which is mandatory.
They are obviously metering my water somewhere out there but I have no personal access to meter readings to keep an eye on things as with gas and electric.

Sorry about quoting my own post 🤨

This is to FranP but might be of use to others.

I did some sums based on Anglian Water charges for an average two-person household using approximately 276 litres (about 60-70 gallons) of water per day. This translates to 102 cubic metres per year.

Charges depend on whether someone has surface water drainage or not. Assuming they do and the rateable value is £227 then unmetered for the financial year 2025/26 would cost £995 (£946 without surface water drainage).

Metered, the charges would be £682 (or £633), a saving of over £300 a year.

For 2067/27, the numbers for unmetered will be £1,109 (or £1,057) and metered £753 (or £700).

Obviously, this will depend on how much water is used. I’ve added a link to the Anglian Water usage calculator. The break even point is at around 165 cubic metres so about 60% more than the average two-person household.

Assuming average use, and that you are a two-person household, the numbers indicate you could cut your bill by a third if you had a meter. If your current unmetered charges are three times your neighbours that would be possible if say your neighbours are metered and live alone or a couple who use a lot less water than you do but they would have to be very frugal. I’m with Anglian too. I’m metred, live alone and am careful with water. I’m currently paying £400 a year.

www.anglianwater.co.uk/services/extra-support/tariff-options/our-standard-charges

www.anglianwater.co.uk/help-and-advice/save-water/water-usage-calculator

Or this one:

www.ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/water-meter-calculator/

Beechnut
I’m with ST too Wishes and like suzie20 the meter was put into the pavement at the end of my drive.

Ah, maybe I was at work or on holiday when ST did this.

The area from the end of my drive to the road side was a bit of a patch work and last year the council tidied it up and re-tarmaced it so maybe it's under there.

It wouldn't be covered over Wishes, they need access to read it. We had a meter installed about 3 months ago, originally it was planned to be inside the house but we would of needed to alter some pipework, then just out the back of house but have pavers/steps the chap didn't fancy digging up, so they ended up putting it on the main stopcock which happens to be in my neighbours garden (for 6 houses in one chamber).

We were talking about meters earlier as my son has just received a nice refund from Wessex W and they have reduced his monthly payments. First reading since he moved into his house. He was paying £45 but will now be £25 per month. Lives alone and with working full time and busy social life he is out a lot. So he was happy.

My inward bound water is from South Eastern, my outbound, waste is with Thames.

I had no option re a meter as we are in a designated shortage area and one was mandatorily fitted some years ago. My bill dropped from around £24 a month to about £12. My last notification, I was "using" about £35 a month's worth, almost 50% more than the previous notification although my actual usage hasn't changed. My usage falls within the Low band for a single person household.

My guess is, most of my increase is because of the Thames Water element.

Forgot to say, looks like I have been missing out on a discount for some years, from what I have been reading about Social Tariffs, although I would be pretty marginal on the income qualification at the moment.

I didn't know there was a Social Tariff on water bills until it was mentioned on here.

I have a water meter and took Severn Trent to task this week for doubling my direct debit which they said was based on my usage since the last bill. It was patent nonsense and when she looked at her records she could see that it was. She said it could have been affected by a rise in the waste water cost because apparently our waste water is handled by another company, Yorkshire Water. ST then pass their charges onto me. Anyway, she did reduce my direct debit and though it’s not as low as I would have liked, it’s better. I currently pay £336 a year which is considerably lower than when we lived in our last house which didn’t have a meter.