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My water meter
If your metered bill seems unusually high, there could be a few reasons for this so we can help you work out why.
Is your meter read higher than you expected?
1. Check your bill period
If you’ve moved into your home in the last year, recently had your meter
fitted, or provided a meter read to us, you may find that the bill
period is longer or shorter than before. The bill period appears on the
front page of your bill below the large blue circle. If your latest bill
is over a longer period of time, you may find that it’s higher. Your
daily usage appears at the bottom, and is usually around the same
amount. Compare your daily usage on our handy graph or by looking at
your bills.
2. Have you had more occupiers?
If you’ve welcomed a new addition to the family, got a new housemate or
even had guests stay since your last meter reading, you may notice that
the bill has gone up. This is normal as more people will use water, even
with everyday usage like washing clothes, bathing and flushing the loo.
On average, each person uses 149 litres of water a day, that’s around
262 pints. That’s a lot of cuppas!
3. Have you had a leak or burst?
If you’ve had to call a plumber since your last bill, any water wasted
by a leak or burst will have been recorded on your meter. If you have a
tap that drips just once every second, it could be wasting up to 21
litres every single day. It may seem like a small leak but it all adds
up over time. If you have any drips or leaking pipes, contact a plumber
to get it repaired.
4. Have you been watering the garden more?
You may notice that your bills are more over summer, especially if you
have a large garden and have been watering it. It may be worth thinking
about how you use your water to save money. By watering plants at night
time with recycled water from the washing up you can really make a
difference to your bills. Better still, why not get a water butt? You’ll
collect rainwater which can then be used around the garden. You may
find that your blooms are healthier if you use rainwater.
5. Have you had
a new heating system or new appliances?
If you’ve upgraded your boiler or central heating system, you may notice
the bill for 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. Getting new appliances like
dishwashers and washing machines may use more water than the old ones,
especially if they’re bigger. Check with the manufacturer to see if
that’s the case.
6. Have you been doing any renovations or building work?
Every home needs an update every now and then, and if you’ve had a lot
of renovations done you may see an increase in your water bill.
Plastering, painting and even cleaning up afterwards will all add up.
It’s not just decorating inside your home that can affect your water
usage and bills. If you’ve had any landscaping, building work or even a
new lawn put down, this will have contributed to an increase in your
water usage. Even if it is just from cleaning up dirt from muddy boots!
If your pipes carrying the water into your home have a leak, you may find that this not only increases your bill but also affects the pressure and flow of your water. We've got more information about water supply and pressure in your home, as well as ways you can get this issue fixed.
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