Water meter being fitted to my house

[Gerry Scrimshaw]

Hi folks. The time has come when the Affinity water company is fitting a meter to my house, so I have to factor in the increased cost of paying for what I use.

Anyone like to say what they get charged a month for making 4000 litres Of pure water a month?

Thanks

Gez &Sam

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[spruce]

Shouldn't be too difficult to estimate.

Go onto your providers website and see how much they charge for 1cm of water.

Then ascertain how much water your r/o (presuming you are using r/o) uses and this will be how much water you will use.

To find out you need to add the total amount of waste and pure together. So you need to measure it. So if you have your r/o set at 2 parts waste to 1 part pure then you will use 3 liters to make 1 liter of pure.

If you use 4000 liters a month then you will use 12,000 of water. If your pure to waste ratio is 1 waste to 1 pure, then you will use 8000 liters.

You need to fit a sub water meter on the pipework to your r/o so you can account for the water you use against expenses on your tax return.

If your waste water goes to soak away (doesn't go into any of the drains) then you can apply for a sewage reduction on the amount of water you use processing water. You will need to supply a monthly reading from your submeter for them to action that.

You need to talk to your water authority.

Hi folks. The time has come when the Affinity water company is fitting a meter to my house, so I have to factor in the increased cost of paying for what I use.

Anyone like to say what they get charged a month for making 4000 litres Of pure water a month?

Thanks

Gez &Sam

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Gerry Scrimshaw]

Shouldn't be too difficult to estimate.
 
Go onto your providers website and see how much they charge for 1cm of water.
 
Then ascertain how much water your r/o (presuming you are using r/o) uses and this will be how much water you will use.
 
To find out you need to add the total amount of waste and pure together. So you need to measure it. So if you have your r/o set at 2 parts waste to 1 part pure then you will use 3 liters to make 1 liter of pure.
If you use 4000 liters a month then you will use 12,000 of water. If your pure to waste ratio is 1 waste to 1 pure, then you will use 8000 liters.
You need to fit a sub water meter on the pipework to your r/o so you can account for the water you use against expenses on your tax return.
 
If your waste water goes to soak away (doesn't go into any of the drains) then you can apply for a sewage reduction on the amount of water you use processing water. You will need to supply a monthly reading from your submeter for them to action that.
You need to talk to your water authority.
 
 

Thanks for quick reply. Didn't think of fitting my own water meter to ro. Any advice on what and where to get one?


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[spruce]

Another tip.

The first year's water bills are usually estimates and fall far short of the actual amount used. They then send you an actual reading after 12 months - well they do up north.

We have the option at the moment to have a meter fitted voluntarily. We have a year to change our minds and revert back to the old system.

Each person we know has been very pleased with their meter reading until they receive an actual bill after the 12 months 'cooling off period.' Its too late then.

Thanks for quick reply. Didn't think of fitting my own water meter to ro. Any advice on what and where to get one?


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

something like this will do;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15mm-1-2-Cold-Water-Meter-Garden-Home-With-Free-Fittings-/321489430551?hash=item4ada436817:g:SdIAAOSwtGlZGzNe

 

[Gerry Scrimshaw]

Another tip.
The first year's water bills are usually estimates and fall far short of the actual amount used. They then send you an actual reading after 12 months - well they do up north.
We have the option at the moment to have a meter fitted voluntarily. We have a year to change our minds and revert back to the old system.
Each person we know has been very pleased with their meter reading until they receive an actual bill after the 12 months 'cooling off period.' Its too late then.

Down here in south we have a year at old rate if we prefer then we have to pay for what we use, unfortunately it's not optional.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile appMany thanks. It's great to share info like this. Well done


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[spruce]

Down here in south we have a year at old rate if we prefer then we have to pay for what we use, unfortunately it's not optional.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

According to many who are on water meters they aren't that much of an issue. You may have to bump up your pricing a little to compensate. A £1 a property should well cover it.

You have been cleaning windows for a long time so an increase would depend on how many houses you are able to do a day.

From experience, I'm probably doing half the amount of windows I did 12 years ago due to age and health. So I would have to do my own appraisal which would be different to some of our younger window cleaning colleagues in the same situation.

.

 

[Gerry Scrimshaw]

Yea I'm the same, given my round to my daughter who has pruned it a bit. Still go out and keep my hand in though, just to keep active.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[spruce]

Just to add to this @Gerry Scrimshaw. If your water goes to the drain then you have no choice but to pay the sewage element of the r/o waste water. 

Many years ago when we had a small 275GPD RoMan type r/o I thought I would run the waste water onto the garden. The water soaked away quickly and all I could see was a wet patch about a foot in diamt in the garden. The rest was bone dry. What I didn't account for is that water came up to the surface in the next door neighbours back garden. Our property is slightly higher than the neighbours garden and he has raised beds for his vegetable garden. All his paths in between the raised beds were full of water.

I quickly discovered that this wasn't the way forward for me. So all our waste goes down the drain now.

If this is the same with your situation then I wouldn't bother contacting the water authority. You could end up with some jobs worthy idiot wanting to put you on commercial water rates. Just claim the water used on your sub meter against income tax as a business expense as you do any other expense.

 

[J and S]

1000 litres here in W Yorks is £2.92 that gives you 400 litres of pure so for 4000 litres of pure would cost £30.

You can earn quite a bit with 4000 litres of pure...depending on your prices would imagine 2 grand is easily achievable.

 

[A.L-K]

We had to go on a commercial rate, we r in the east of England. I had a sub meter fitted and now the bill is roughly £800.


Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

A year


Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

 

[steve garwood]

I was told that by law, you must allow the metre to fitted, however you don't have use it as that's how you bought the house. The next people to buy the house have to use it.

If this is cr-p, it's what my mate fat Dave told me

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

It very much depends on which water company you are with so which area you are from. I'm with Yorkshire Water and it usually comes in at £150 roughly every quarter. I use on average 800 ltr - 1000 ltr of pure a week.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Gerry Scrimshaw]

It very much depends on which water company you are with so which area you are from. I'm with Yorkshire Water and it usually comes in at £150 roughly every quarter. I use on average 800 ltr - 1000 ltr of pure a week.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

Thanks folks. I'm in council house so it might be a bit different. I have a year at fixed rate or can go metered straight away, but there's no option of staying on fixed at the end of the year. Will just have to adjust prices, it's not a major hit as to earnings, just annoying .


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

Also, I don't know if all companies operate like this but with Yorkshire water if you set up a monthly direct debit they estimate your usage like Spruce said and put you on a set amount for 12 months, they were going to put us on £42 a month, then as mentioned after a year they get a reading and give you a proper bill. But if you opt for quarterly payments they estimate the first quarter but after that they take a proper reading. So you get a better idea of costs sooner. That's Yorkshire Water anyway.


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Clisty1989]

I always thought that you could refuse to have one fitted, and the water company would then put your rates up and state that there was "no access to fit a meter". They'd then add £150-200 on top of your annual bill to compensate, which If you do the maths you'd save money. I think @Dave B mentioned something similar last year if I remember right. I may be wrong though

 

[Dave B]

I did but recently i have been told by someone that the rules have changed now and you can't refuse

I'm gonna look in to it as i am still not on one although i had a letter about 3 years ago saying we would have one within 2 years so overdue for one now

 

[Clisty1989]

@Dave B straight from ofwats website, looks like it has changed

Do I have to have a meter?
Your company can choose to install a meter at your property. However, it can only charge you using the meter if you:  
• use an automatic watering device (such as a garden sprinkler); • automatically fill a swimming pool; • have a power shower or extra large bath; • use a reverse osmosis water softening unit; • are the new occupier of a property (provided it has not already sent you an unmetered bill); or • live in a water stressed area where the Government has allowed compulsory metering as part of a plan to maintain secure water supplies.

If one or more of the conditions for compulsory metering outlined above applies to you, your company is allowed to install a meter and charge you according to how much water you use.
If you are worried about having a meter, your company can offer help and advice about how to reduce your bill. It will also explain the many different ways in which you can use water more efficiently.
 

 

[Dave B]

Thanks buddy