I've been been a victim of Thames Water

[MSG2004]

I can't recall what the previous six months' bill is other than we used 3% less water - the 6 months to the end of July is just over 350 pounds
We are at home as we took early retirement some years ago. It's just me and the Mrs in our little, 3 bed home.
We do take at least one bath/shower each day and at times two in hotter weather.
We don't water the front or the rear gardens not do I wash my cars at home.

It is daylight robbery.
We had no option other than having to have a water meter as those were the rules when we moved over 10 years ago

The "fines" the water regulator imported on some water companies and Thames Water gets the biggest
fine of 104 million pounds. How the F is that going to help their customers?

Rant over.

 

[st13phil]

I can't recall what the previous six months' bill is other than we used 3% less water - the 6 months to the end of July is just over 350 pounds

That certainly sounds very high for two people in with the usage pattern you described. For comparison, my wife and I (who probably have a similar usage pattern to your description with the exception that we only take showers, not baths) are billed approximately £300 per year by Thames Water.

You need to check your prior bill and compare the meter readings. Are either of the bills based on estimated readings? Is the latest meter reading within the bounds of plausibility if you take a look at the meter today? It's also possible that you have an underground leak on your house side of the meter that's inflating your consumption.

It certainly needs investigation.

 

[John N]

I can't recall what the previous six months' bill is other than we used 3% less water - the 6 months to the end of July is just over 350 pounds
We are at home as we took early retirement some years ago. It's just me and the Mrs in our little, 3 bed home.
We do take at least one bath/shower each day and at times two in hotter weather.
We don't water the front or the rear gardens not do I wash my cars at home.

It is daylight robbery.
We had no option other than having to have a water meter as those were the rules when we moved over 10 years ago

The "fines" the water regulator imported on some water companies and Thames Water gets the biggest
fine of 104 million pounds. How the F is that going to help their customers?

Rant over.

That's comparable to Anglian Water, what I don't get is the fact that I use the Water I pay for by the m3, to Flush our Sewage away and they charge me 214.38 per m3 for the privilege!

How can they Measure the Sewage? as there is no Metering!

 

[zipdip]

Well the best thing to do is locate your water meter,they are nearly always in the pavement outside your property,a big screwdriver used as a pry bar will get the cover off and then you might get a plastic cover with maybe the number of your house on it ,remove that and then read the numbers on the meter,now as you seem to be using alot of water and the sewerage is calculate as around 80% of the water you use the bill soon mounts up,what you need to do,is make certain that no water is being used in your property,then in the centre of the water meter you will see a small disc with a little arrow marking what way it turns,make certain that is not going round,if it is you have a water leak

 

[MSG2004]

That certainly sounds very high for two people in with the usage pattern you described. For comparison, my wife and I (who probably have a similar usage pattern to your description with the exception that we only take showers, not baths) are billed approximately £300 per year by Thames Water.

You need to check your prior bill and compare the meter readings. Are either of the bills based on estimated readings? Is the latest meter reading within the bounds of plausibility if you take a look at the meter today? It's also possible that you have an underground leak on your house side of the meter that's inflating your consumption.

It certainly needs investigation.

Thanks. I dont' have the previous bills but the current water bill came with the amount of water we had used ie, 12 months previous amount of water used at 6 month intervals and this 6 month period is a few percentage points lower - about 7% I think as one of our children came to live with us
from their return from abroad/work and had to wait a couple of months for the tenants to move out of her home she rented out when abroad. This is why the bill/usage is lower. The usage I've just noted they give as per cups of water.

We've had a water leak a few years ago and our bills doubled and Thames water sorted it out

Are you in the Tames Water area as water companies charge different prices I beleive.

 

[st13phil]

Are you in the Tames Water area

Yes, we're supplied by Thames Water in Oxfordshire.

To give a comparison, in the 6 months to June this year we used 28m3 of water, which according to TW is the equivalent of 112,000 cups of tea.

 

[MSG2004]

I did that and no leak. The water meter is outside our drive easy to read/look at.
As I said, we had a leak and bill double, Thames did sort it out. From
memory I belive it was at the point of the water meter but they stuck
what the call a 'Mole' under our drive and a little hole near the wall
replaced old pipe with new.
Thanks

I still don't get how fines will help water customers.

 

[MSG2004]

Thanks - I'm assuming as we are is se/London, Thames charges the same rates for water

 

[Petrol Pete]

Yes, we're supplied by Thames Water in Oxfordshire.

To give a comparison, in the 6 months to June this year we used 28m3 of water, which according to TW is the equivalent of 112,000 cups of tea.

Thats spot on if the cup is 250ml ,excluding the milk, if you take milk.

62 cups of tea a day...steady on old chap.

 

[st13phil]

62 cups of tea a day...steady on old chap.

On the basis that what goes in must come out, that'd be a very busy day!

 

[Dippo]

If you drank that many cups of tea, you'd use a lot more in flushes!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I must resist the temptation of looking at my water bill. It didnmt end well when I looks at my gas and electricity bill and compared to MBClubbers…

 

[Big Janner]

The good news (for me) is that Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) charged me £2/month over the 6 month period of my previous bill
The bad news . . . they upped that to £11/month for this 1/2 year, so, if all things stay the same; £132/yr.
OK, I'm on my own and, dirty little me, I shower every other day (more, if the dirty little me bit needs it)
I do a limited amount of garden watering
I don't wash my car at home (I can't reach the roof)

The differences between what the supply companies charge is both strange and, I suspect unexplainable

 

[MSG2004]

Those who may be interested
Our son and his family live in the same road as us about 20 dors away. They have a bigger property than us but our son is 97% of the time working from home, his OH looks after their children inc the new born our grandchild last year - so ther is 4 of them as opposed to two of us in our house.
They try to be careful with the bills/etc inc water. Last few months since the arrival of our new grandchild, many more machine washes. They have a granny anex attached to their home so they have 2 kitchens, more bathrooms than us but that should not really matter as its 2 adults, toddler and baby. (info for context re billing amount comparison)

Their 6 months bill was just over 580 pounds as opposed to ours being closer to 350. I was staggered. Looking through previous bills for water, the usage was up 10%, ie nothing dramatic and ties in with new baby and loads more washing as baby used to throw up as soon as he was in new clothing and resulting in a lot more machine washes and dishwasher use as family/friends visiting

Thames water bill have gone up by almost 13% in April the B's claims "inflation" -

Ayone else living in Thames water area and st home most of the time like us

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Those who may be interested
Our son and his family live in the same road as us about 20 dors away. They have a bigger property than us but our son is 97% of the time working from home, his OH looks after their children inc the new born our grandchild last year - so ther is 4 of them as opposed to two of us in our house.
They try to be careful with the bills/etc inc water. Last few months since the arrival of our new grandchild, many more machine washes. They have a granny anex attached to their home so they have 2 kitchens, more bathrooms than us but that should not really matter as its 2 adults, toddler and baby. (info for context re billing amount comparison)

Their 6 months bill was just over 580 pounds as opposed to ours being closer to 350. I was staggered. Looking through previous bills for water, the usage was up 10%, ie nothing dramatic and ties in with new baby and loads more washing as baby used to throw up as soon as he was in new clothing and resulting in a lot more machine washes and dishwasher use as family/friends visiting

Thames water bill have gone up by almost 13% in April the B's claims "inflation" -

Ayone else living in Thames water area and st home most of the time like us

"We" have just spend £17 billion on upgrading the Thames water system.

Basically updating that 160 year old water supply and disposal structure put in by Joseph Bazelgette. (He's buried in our Church)

Most of that was financed by debt, which now has to be serviced.

Seemed a bit unnecessary, as London has the cleanest river water of any Capital City in Europe, but hey ho, it seemed like a good idea to the Regulator.

You think that's expensive? Heck, he built Hammersmith Bridge as well, and we still can't work out how to finance the replacement of that

On the other hand when he built most of the bridges in Central London, most of the Embankment, and designed Tower Bridge and the Blackwell Tunnel, he created things that would last pretty well.

 

[baxlin]

Those who may be interested
Our son and his family live in the same road as us about 20 dors away. They have a bigger property than us but our son is 97% of the time working from home, his OH looks after their children inc the new born our grandchild last year - so ther is 4 of them as opposed to two of us in our house.
They try to be careful with the bills/etc inc water. Last few months since the arrival of our new grandchild, many more machine washes. They have a granny anex attached to their home so they have 2 kitchens, more bathrooms than us but that should not really matter as its 2 adults, toddler and baby. (info for context re billing amount comparison)

Their 6 months bill was just over 580 pounds as opposed to ours being closer to 350. I was staggered. Looking through previous bills for water, the usage was up 10%, ie nothing dramatic and ties in with new baby and loads more washing as baby used to throw up as soon as he was in new clothing and resulting in a lot more machine washes and dishwasher use as family/friends visiting

Thames water bill have gone up by almost 13% in April the B's claims "inflation" -

Ayone else living in Thames water area and st home most of the time like us

Yep, we are supplied by Thames Water, just been reviewed again, and stay at £25 pm (£300pa). 3 bed 1960s house. Just 2 of us, both retired, at home most of the time. We water the garden, & I wash both cars at home (with hose).

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Forgot to answer the exam question.

In deepest Wimbledon, we're paying Thames Water £360 a year, as a couple.

We travel quite a lot, but "she" easily drinks a gallon of tea a day when we're here.

 

[MSG2004]

Yep, we are supplied by Thames Water, just been reviewed again, and stay at £25 pm (£300pa). 3 bed 1960s house. Just 2 of us, both retired, at home most of the time. We water the garden, & I wash both cars at home (with hose).

Thanks. I've not washed the cars at home for years nor do we water the garden as there is plenty of rain here and watering only makes the grass grow quicker.
Maybe we put too much water into the bath and take very long showers. The washing machine is used three times a week.

 

[MSG2004]

Forgot to answer the exam question.

In deepest Wimbledon, we're paying Thames Water £360 a year, as a couple.

We travel quite a lot, but "she" easily drinks a gallon of tea a day when we're here.

Thanks -
Re Gallon of tea, lol. My Mrs drinks a gallon of water and I drink close to a gallon of tea/coffee, all decade,

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks. I've not washed the cars at home for years nor do we water the garden as there is plenty of rain here and watering only makes the grass grow quicker.
Maybe we put too much water into the bath and take very long showers. The washing machine is used three times a week.

They used to say 80 litres for a bath, 40 litres for a washing machine 10 litres a minute for a shower, and 5 litres for a flush.

"I don't get out much."