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Getting an unusually high bill or meter reading
Sometimes we all get a bill or have a meter reading which is higher than we expected. If you’ve received a high metered bill, don’t worry – there’s often a simple explanation. If it needs some deeper investigation, we can help work out what’s going on.
Check your most recent meter reading
One of the first things to do is have a look at your bill and see if your last meter reading was an estimate.
- If the estimate was too low, your current bill may include charges from your previous bill.
- If you’ve just moved in and didn’t provide a start reading, just let us know an up-to-date meter reading and we’ll be able to adjust your bill.
Keep an eye on how much water you normally use
You can keep an eye on your water use by entering regular meter readings and checking your average daily usage between reads. This can help you:
- Spot those periods when your water use goes up. This often happens during the summer months.
- Get an early warning for any potential problems or spikes in how much water you're using. This can be an early indicator for a leak.
More things to think about
If you’ve moved into your home in the last year, recently had a meter fitted or provided a meter read to us, you may find that the period your bill covers is longer or shorter than before.
This can affect the amount your bill covers. If it's a longer period of time, it's likely that your bill will be for a higher amount. If it's shorter, then you'll often be billed for a smaller amount than usual. You can find the billing period on the front page of your bill, below the large blue circle.
If you’ve welcomed a new addition into the family, got a new housemate or even had guests to stay since your last meter reading, you may notice that your bill has gone up. Remember, on average, each person uses 149 litres of water a day. That’s around 262 pints. There are many water saving products that can help you reduce your water use.
If you’ve had to call a plumber since your last bill, any water wasted by a leak or burst would have been recorded on your meter. Even a tap that drips just once every second could be wasting up to 21 litres every single day.
If you suspect you may have a dripping tap or leak, you can carry out some tests at home before you contact a plumber.
You may notice that your bills are higher over summer, especially if you have a large garden and have been watering it. One great way that you can save water is by getting a water butt. It’ll collect rainwater, which can then be used around your garden
If you’ve changed your boiler or central heating system recently, you may notice your bill from when you had this work done is higher than you're used to. Emptying the old system and refilling the new one will increase the amount of water that you’ve used.
New appliances like dishwashers and washing machines may use more water than your previous ones, especially if they’re bigger. Check with the manufacturer to see if that’s the case
Every home needs an update every now and then, and if you’ve had renovations done you may see an increase in your water bill. Plastering, painting and even cleaning up afterwards will all add up.
If you’ve had any landscaping, building work or even a new lawn put down, this also would have contributed to an increase in your water usage. Even if it is just from cleaning up dirt from muddy boots!
