How to cut your water bills

Water bills keep on increasing. You can’t change Water Companies but there are still a lot of ways you can cut your water charges.

This article is looking at ways to cut your future bills. If you already have a bill that is too high for you to manage, don’t ignore it, read What to do if you can’t afford to pay a water bill.

See if you would pay less with a meter

60% of people don’t have a water meter. Many of them could save hundreds of pounds a year by getting one!

Without a meter, your water bill is base on the rateable value of your house, so the larger it is, the more you pay. But your water usage really depends on the number of people, not how big your house is. The same couple in a one, two or three-bed house will probably use the same amount of water.

An easy rule of thumb:

if the number of people in your house is the same or less than the number of bedrooms, you will probably save with a water meter.

To encourage you to switch, most companies say that if your meter gives you higher bills in your first year, you can go back to non-metered billing. So there’s no risk!

It’s free to have a meter fitted, just ask your water company. You can have one even if you are a tenant (unless you have a short tenancy of less than six months).

If a meter can’t be fitted

Sometimes the water company will say you can’t have a meter. For example, the supply to a block of flats may be unsuitable for individual meters.

If a meter isn’t possible, ask what an “assessed charge” would be instead. This may be based on the number of people in your house – so if there are only two of you in a two-bedroom house it’s probably going to be lower than the amount you currently pay. If the assessed charge you are quoted is more than your bills at the moment, you don’t have to switch to it.

Reduce your water usage

Once you have a water meter, anything you can do to reduce your water usage will cut your bill:

• there are some very easy steps, such as not leaving the water running when you are cleaning your teeth!
• see how many of these A-Z of water-saving tips will work for your family;
• put your postcode into this website Save Water Save Money to order FREE water-saving devices provided by your water company;
• if you can reduce the water used in showers, baths, cooking, kettles, washing machines and dishwashers, this will have the side benefit of cutting your gas or electricity bills as well.

Do you qualify for a lower charge?

WaterSure will cap your bills, so any extra water your household uses will be free. You may be eligible for WaterSure if you are on certain benefits and either have medical conditions that mean you use more water or have three or more children living with you.

There may be another social tariff that would cut your bills if you are on a low income, some benefits or pension credit. These vary by region, so see what your water company offers.

Not many people know about these! They could help more than 400,000 households, but in 2016, less than a third of eligible customers signed up to a social tariff.

To get WaterSure or one of these low social tariffs, you usually have to have a water meter. So it can make sense to switch to a meter even if you use a lot of water.

Reduce the sewerage charge?

If rainwater coming off your roof and driveway goes into a soakaway on your property or a river or stream, it isn’t going into the sewerage system so you may be able to get a rebate. If you have a look at your water bill, this may be explained in the small print on the back, or contact your Water Company and ask.

Have you saved money on your water bills?

There are a lot of ways you may be able to reduce the cost of your water, from getting a meter and using less to getting charged at a lower rate.

Do you have any good water-saving tips? Has switching to a meter, saved you money? Add a comment below!

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