Water bill!

[Buckman]

We are with Severn Trent and our latest bill seem to have jumped up a bit with costs. Between 2018 and 2022 the bill has been about the same each year. However last year it increased, but this year it has increased by over £100 from 2022 so a big jump in price. Consumption is about the same although slightly less. Has your water bill also increased quite a bit from 2022 or is it just us?

 

[otherclive]

Yes ours has gone up. We are with Wessex Water, one of the better ones but they are installing new infrastructure to better cope with heavy rainfall, and I believe a water interconnection between Dorset area in the south and areas in the north like parts of Wiltshire. This will help better distribute the water between their overall area.

Given what we see in the news and papers we can all expect higher bills as there has to be a big programme of works to clean up and prevent sewage discharges into rivers and the sea. Where we last lived Wessex installed a large underground catchment tank under the town cricket pitch/park. . When the works had finished you would have no idea what had been built under the cricket pitch.

 

[Bluetonic]

Also with Seven Trent, yes bills have rocketed this year.

They are probably charging us for all the gas central heating boilers and gas hobs they had to replace in Ratby and Kirby Muxloe when their water main (which they had supposedly repaired) exploded, blew a hole in the gas main and filled the network with water.
We had to have our 8 month old boiler replaced due to water ingress, our next door neighbour had their 26 year old bolier replaced too. If only our boiler had hung on another few months 😢

 

[RogerL]

We have a hybrid water billing system - we get water from South Staffs Water, a small private company and sewage goes to Severn Trent - so the sewage part of our bill will no doubt go up if Severn Trent are increasing their charges.

 

[Buckman]

An increase of over 34% in two years is quite substantial. Guess they have to keep the shareholders happy so we can get our pensions!

 

[Beachball]

We have experienced the same issue with our water supplier, like other areas this is a reflection of the present monetary climate.

 

[Buckman]

I must admit that I am a bit naughty about paying the water bill which you get in the middle of Oct or April and leave it until they send a reminder.

 

[Buckman]

It seems that we are not the only ones disagreeing with costs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9gve1grjmo

 

[otherclive]

It seems that we are not the only ones disagreeing with costs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9gve1grjmo

It’s a problem that has been kicked into the long grass for far too long, whether it be renewal of supply mains, or the atrocious performance wrt sewage discharges. We cut back last summer on the number of containers requiring to be watered, whilst our neighbour happily continues to use long running sprinklers on his lawns and borders, even when rain is forecast. But they aren’t on a meter.

 

[Buckman]

Annoyingly you have to pay for rainwater runoff even if you have huge water barrels for the rain water.

 

[Dustydog]

Annoyingly you have to pay for rainwater runoff even if you have huge water barrels for the rain water.

I’m shocked.
Last year Thames water were offering incentives on new builds which incorporated rainwater collection devices.
Checking T W they say this. Is that what you mean?

Surface water drainage is charged as part of your wastewater services. Most households need to pay this charge, including buildings with a shared roof such as flats or apartments. In most cases, the rain that falls on your roof, driveway and other parts of your property will drain away into one of our public sewers.

 

[otherclive]

I’m shocked.
Last year Thames water were offering incentives on new builds which incorporated rainwater collection devices.
Checking T W they say this. Is that what you mean?

Surface water drainage is charged as part of your wastewater services. Most households need to pay this charge, including buildings with a shared roof such as flats or apartments. In most cases, the rain that falls on your roof, driveway and other parts of your property will drain away into one of our public sewers.

I guess in terms of totals the rainwater collection devices collect a relatively small proportion of what falls even on a roof. I removed my water butts (3) as in dry periods I quickly got through their contents. So now I’ve reduced the number of containers for plants, and since remaking the garden borders I’ve planted more drought resistant plants. And it’s never stopped raining since ! You cannot win whatever.