Water Bill too high! - Is my water meter broken?

[mplaza]

Hi All,

I've recently submitted a meter reading to Thames Water and received a bill of 223 pounds! For the period between 25 May 2022 – 10 October 2022, saying my daily usage is of 1.61 pounds. I find this very hard to believe as we are a house of two people and are quite conscious of water usage.

I've since started taking meter readings daily and will continue until Thames Water come and take a look at my meter.

12th October -- 01247
13th October -- 01248

I'm not sure If I should be looking for a leak now! Any help/advice would be great as I'm not ready to pay for that bill until I've cleared the matter with Thames Water

Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

77 m^3 over 138 days is 550 litre per day on average. It is possible for two people to use that much if they each have a ten-minute daily power shower (say 20 litre per minute) but that's not what I understand by 'conscious of water usage'.

Water companies publish websites that you can use to estimate your water consumption, e.g.

Water usage calculator | Anglian Water Services

Find out how much water your household uses on average, and see how this compares to other similar homes based on the number of people living in your home.

www.anglianwater.co.uk

Use one of these and see if 550 litre per day seems too high.

In any case, it doesn't hurt to switch of the water at the water meter for half an hour occasionally and check that the meter is not moving during that time.

 

[Enthalpy]

I think not paying your bill is unwise. It’s better to check for leaks. This is advice that I received from the water company when my meter reading was higher than normal:

‘Following a recent visit to read your water meter, we noticed that the reading taken was much higher than usual.

You may already know the reason for this higher reading, in which case you don't need to do anything. If you are unsure why your usage has increased, the most likely reasons are listed below:

• Previous bills have been estimated.

• There are more people at home - children home from university etc.

• Use or increased use of a hosepipe or garden sprinkler.

• Dripping taps or overflows.

• Building or re-decorating work.

If you are still unable to account for the extra water used, we suggest you check for possible leaks on your supply pipes and fittings. As well as causing damage, leaks can be the cause of increased water registering on your meter and higher bills, so it is important that you take action now. Carrying out the consumption test is easy to do.

Part 1- Take 2 meter readings an hour apart ensuring no water used in between. If both readings the same - no issue. If readings different please follow part 2

Part 2- Turn off internal stop tap. Repeat process as in part 1. If both readings the same - please call plumber. If readings different please contact our billing operations on *******.’

It turned out that water was leaking at the connection between my pipe and the water meter. I received a credit for the estimated leakage.

Ps. When taking water meter readings note all digits, not just the whole cubic metres.

 

[snowhead]

Is the meter inside by the main water stop tap or outside in the ground.

If the meter is inside, any leak outside is not metered or charged for, so you are only looking for leaks within the property

 

[gmartine]

You wouldn't have a leg to stand on by refusing to pay, by all means monitor your usage of the next few weeks/months and see if your bill is really out of wack.

I'm afraid all water company's spiel appear to be the same in that they'll tell you your use is too high even if it isn't because of the recent drought conditions and their Sod poor leakage record.

 

[snowhead]

I had my bill today from Severn Trent.
1 Person household.
Slept in the house every night covered by the bill.
Home most days (retired).
Had visitors stay for around 4 weeks total of the billing time.
Meter installed brand new, in the street, in January.

 

[jh2254]

Can’t add much to what already has been posted as all sensible advice.
One thing to stress is make sure you continue paying the bill until you know what the problem is.
First thing to do is check for any leaks internally, ie don’t use any water for say an hour to see if the meter goes round or not. Sometimes it’s not easy to locate the water meter and even when you have to read it ! Let us know how you get on or need any further advice.

 

[mplaza]

Is the meter inside by the main water stop tap or outside in the ground.

If the meter is inside, any leak outside is not metered or charged for, so you are only looking for leaks within the property

It's outside on the pavement