water bills

[trixie88]

there is talk on the radio that we may have to pay (price increase) more for water used during a heatwave......??????

dont hear anything about low users getting price cut for using less water. Hmmm

 

[trevskoda]

Water bills are on rates here, a few years back the local gov talked about introducing water rates but dropped it once folk cottoned on and ask will it be taken of the rates bill.

 

[Fisherman]

there is talk on the radio that we may have to pay (price increase) more for water used during a heatwave......??????

dont hear anything about low users getting price cut for using less water. Hmmm

Trixie in Scotland we have no right to having a water meter installed as I believe you do in England. Our water rates are based purely on your council tax band, which are badly needing revised. “Apparently” we are band G the second highest band which means that although only my wife and I live here we are paying almost £100 a month water and sewage rates. Whilst houses in our street with 4-5 adults and children living pay less than us, even though they are obviously using more water. Only commercial properties in Scotland are given water metres.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Trixie in Scotland we have no right to having a water meter installed as I believe you do in England. Our water rates are based purely on your council tax band, which are badly needing revised. “Apparently” we are band G the second highest band which means that although only my wife and I live here we are paying almost £100 a month water and sewage rates. Whilst houses in our street with 4-5 adults and children living pay less than us, even though they are obviously using more water. Only commercial properties in Scotland are given water metres.

Could you not fit one and argue in court that you are a low user?

 

[Fisherman]

Could you not fit one and argue in court that you are a low user?

No, in Scotland domestic water rates are charged as per your council tax band.
So even if I showed a reduced usage I would still be charged as per my council tax band. Where we live, properties built after the introduction of the council tax seem to be banded higher than those built prior to its introduction. That’s just my opinion but it’s based on facts like how can a house built before 1993 worth over £500,000 be the same band in our village as a house worth £275,000. But that’s another issue.

 

[izwozral]

Increased water rates are only one part of the huge increase in taxes coming our way. When I say huge, I mean HUGE!

I pity the younger generation who are following us oldies (well, some of them anyway, some are part of the problem).

 

[Pudsey Bear]

No, in Scotland domestic water rates are charged as per your council tax band.
So even if I showed a reduced usage I would still be charged as per my council tax band. Where we live, properties built after the introduction of the council tax seem to be banded higher than those built prior to its introduction. That’s just my opinion but it’s based on facts like how can a house built before 1993 worth over £500,000 be the same band in our village as a house worth £275,000. But that’s another issue.

In my last house, they just did a drive by to assess the bands, all in one street were the same band. I appealed and got mine dropped two bands; they used a local estate agent who I drank with to do the valuing, and he said to appeal it.

 

[izwozral]

No, in Scotland domestic water rates are charged as per your council tax band.
So even if I showed a reduced usage I would still be charged as per my council tax band. Where we live, properties built after the introduction of the council tax seem to be banded higher than those built prior to its introduction. That’s just my opinion but it’s based on facts like how can a house built before 1993 worth over £500,000 be the same band in our village as a house worth £275,000. But that’s another issue.

A bit like the poll tax Bill.
Lord Ponsonby Bottomly Arsniffer who lived in a gentleman's manse on the left side of the street in Lower Slaughter, paid less than Mrs Smiggins, who lived in a maisonette, on the right side of the street in Upper Slaughter.
The boundary being the white line in the middle of the road.

The real such case was a road in Sale, M/cr and no doubt elsewhere.

 

[GeoffL]

dont hear anything about low users getting price cut for using less water. Hmmm

FWIW, South West Water seem to regularly offer financial incentives in the form of reduced rates for those who manage to cut their consumption by a specified amount. Of course, only those on water meters can benefit and anyone who's always frugal with their water consumption probably can't make additional usage reductions, and so can't benefit (which seems a little unfair!)

 

[wildebus]

FWIW, South West Water seem to regularly offer financial incentives in the form of reduced rates for those who manage to cut their consumption by a specified amount. Of course, only those on water meters can benefit and anyone who's always frugal with their water consumption probably can't make additional usage reductions, and so can't benefit (which seems a little unfair!)

As we know, in England, if you don't have a Water Meter, the water charges are charged by the water company but based on the council tax banding.

Out of Interest (and possible use to you?), when I lived in Devon, so a South West Water area, I didn't have a Water Meter and so initally paid on the basis of whatever band a 4 bed detached house would have been in.
I applied to get a water meter installed, as I was sure the amount of water two occupants would use would be less then what they would have based the band water charge on. Turned out they couldn't fit a meter as had a shared supply with a neighbour or somesuch, so they reduced the dset charge to that of a typical 2 occupancy home. So I got a reduced bill without needing a meter, and the reduction was not too bad actually

The other thing that can be checked on the Water Rates/Charges ... There is usually an element in the charge for rain water disposal (or words to that effect). If your rain water does not go into the drains but you use your garden for a soakaway, you can get that charge removed from the bill - and again, that is quite often a tidy sum.

 

[GeoffL]

The other thing that can be checked on the Water Rates/Charges ... There is usually an element in the charge for rain water disposal (or words to that effect). If your rain water does not go into the drains but you use your garden for a soakaway, you can get that charge removed from the bill - and again, that is quite often a tidy sum.

Not just a tidy sum! The amount charged for drainage is almost twice that charged for supply. They can't meter the runoff and so simply assume that every litre of water they supply ends up down the drains. If you can show that every drop of water (including sewage) goes to soakaway/septic tank and not the public drains, they should not charge you for that element.

FWIW, we were unmetered for some time and made substantial saving as our bills halved when we went on a meter. However, the bills have gone up and up since and we're now paying almost as much as we were under water rates despite having approximately the same usage.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

When we had our new garage built, they found a water pipe that wasn't metered, so we use that for watering and filling the van.

 

[Fisherman]

Increased water rates are only one part of the huge increase in taxes coming our way. When I say huge, I mean HUGE!

I pity the younger generation who are following us oldies (well, some of them anyway, some are part of the problem).

Quite frankly this country and most of the western world has been living in La La land for to long now. You cannot square a circle, and thinking that we can spend spend spend, whilst not facing up to reality has to come to an end. The government have tried cutbacks, now they will have to do what they promised (and never should have promised) and raise taxes.

 

[Fisherman]

A bit like the poll tax Bill.
Lord Ponsonby Bottomly Arsniffer who lived in a gentleman's manse on the left side of the street in Lower Slaughter, paid less than Mrs Smiggins, who lived in a maisonette, on the right side of the street in Upper Slaughter.
The boundary being the white line in the middle of the road.

The real such case was a road in Sale, M/cr and no doubt elsewhere.

If the poll tax had been banded as it should have it would have been a fairer system than council tax. Removing property based taxation would improve things. We have neighbours with three adult kids all out working paying nothing in local taxes, the poll tax stopped this from happening. Houses don’t use the facilities provided by local councils, people do. But I suppose no matter what form of tax is applied some will reckon it’s unfair.

 

[trevskoda]

Quite frankly this country and most of the western world has been living in La La land for to long now. You cannot square a circle, and thinking that we can spend spend spend, whilst not facing up to reality has to come to an end. The government have tried cutbacks, now they will have to do what they promised (and never should have promised) and raise taxes.

How come before the norman invasion we all lived on the land and payed nothing.

 

[r4dent]

there is talk on the radio that we may have to pay (price increase) more for water used during a heatwave......??????

dont hear anything about low users getting price cut for using less water. Hmmm

Only possible if you have a water meter fitted.

One of many reasons why I don't have one.

 

[Fisherman]

How come before the norman invasion we all lived on the land and payed nothing.

And you got nothing

 

[maingate]

How come before the norman invasion we all lived on the land and payed nothing.

Yes Trev. It was pre Norman Wisdom.

 

[runnach]

Slightly off topic but water related. When we recently visited my sister and brother in law build project Acqui Terme, Italy. BIL said to me, having a single well on a property one can add at least €5000 to a sell price. Since they bought all structures, they have three well.

Well would you believe it!!

Here a pic from about a month ago of me pulling water from well for my bath

 

[GeoffL]

Only possible if you have a water meter fitted.

One of many reasons why I don't have one.

Only possible if you have a smart water meter. AIUI, some water companies are introducing smart meters, which can transmit usage data automatically and help detect leaks or unusual consumption patterns. However, these meters cannot be used to track hourly or daily consumption, only to monitor overall usage. FWIW, my water meter has a battery and can transmit data to a meter reading app in a vehicle as it is driven along my street -- but (or so I'm assured) it does not and cannot transmit data directly to the water company's billing system.
Now consider that the water rates and metered prices are set at such levels to ensure that unmetered consumers always pay more than they would if they were metered. In our case, our bills halved once on a meter. Another consideration is that you are entitled to return to paying water rates at any time during the first three years your consumption is metered...