Water bills

I just had a three month bill for £96 - That was £44 water and £64 sewerage (minus £12 for the government scheme, we're in Devon) There is also only two of us, we don't bath, don't have a dishwasher and don't have a garden.

If it's the first time you've had a direct debit I know they overestimate so you don't underpay. Our electric and gas direct debits were big until after a year when I had to ring and lower them.

Ous is about 25 quid per month. There are 3 of us (one if which is potty training, so it may go up due to flushing the loo a squillion times a day)!

Maybe it dependa on the area?

I've managed to stay off a water metre so far. I pay £54 a month for 9 months. I daredent go on a water metre the two kids have two baths a day won't wash their hair in it though so washes it in the shower. Then there's me and the OH.

I did once ring up Yorkshie water and why when I moved the bill more than doubled years back, and they said if you're not on a metre it goes on the value of your house not the people in it.

Meter vs no meter will make a difference.

For 2 of us in our 1 bed flat we were paying £300 a year flat rate, bath instead of shower, dishwasher, no garden.

Our 3 bed house (still with 2 of us) has a meter, shower and bath, no dishwasher, don't water the garden. First six monthly bill was £55, second after new bathroom was £88. So £140ish for the year?

Ours is about £29 a month flat rate, I think.

We're on a metre and pay just over £27 a month via direct debit.

There's just us two, we do have a dishwasher but it's not on everyday or even every other day, we have no bath - shower only and we water the garden from our water butt.

We pay around £270 a year, not on a water meter as not any cheaper for us at the minute (according to our water providers website anyway)

PAY £28 a month, no meter just a fixed rate .. when I lived with oh we only paid £18 a month because of medical needs and therefore you get a reduction in water rates.

Does anyone else have to pay two companies for water? We pay a £9 a month to Portsmouth water and then £23 to southern water- is that normal?

I pay two companies as well, I think it is around £14 a month to each. We were put on a metre last month though and I am terrified it's going to rocket in price. Does anyone else get really annoyed that you can't change water supplier like you can other utilities?

We're not on a meter and pay about £28 a month. I don't think that's 12 months of the year though - I seem to think we get 2 or 3 months 'off'.

One thing I'm dreading about moving is ending up in a house with a water meter.

We used to be on a water meter and we paid for two kids and one adult £22 a month. But we are fairly energy effieicient and with I guess water effieicent as well. We ahev moved and I'm now paying £64 a month not on a water meter. I am nervous about changing though as our new house has a combi boiler so you end up having to run the water to wait for it to heat up which I hate as it is such a waste of water.

I think the idea behind introducing meters for all water customers would be that the market could be opened up to competition. Without everyone being on meters it would be hard to admits inter the billing side of things.

We pay £50 a month on a meter and could probably pay a lot less. Our son is water obsessed so constantly runs taps when he can get to them. Plus has a shower and a bath everyday. My washing machine is on 2 to 3 times a day and I have a dishwasher.

We're on a meter and pay about £16 or £18 per month. There's 2 of us in our house too and neither of us bath and we don't have a dishwasher.

I pay two separate bills down here as Portsmouth Water does the waste and Southern Water does the supply. Waste is £9.06 pm and supply is £20.34 per month.

Our water bills are paid by our landlord, for which I am eternally grateful. I mean they may have included an estimated fee in our rent, but I'm very glad I don't have to worry about how much water we use.

They say that if you have more bedrooms than people it is likely to be cheaper on a meter, if you have more people than bedrooms it's going to be cheaper on a set rate, i.e. not a meter.

The water industry is going to be start to become de-regulated end of this year/ start of next year (i never listen at work so not quite sure when) it will start with business but filter down through domestic. Once this has happened it will become more like the gas and electricity industry where you can shop around for the best deal and will no longer be tied to the water company in your area.

It's been being deregulated next year for years. The company I work for does water alongside energy and we keep being told it will be deregulated soon...

We pay £40 a month. We're not on a meter.

That is for a 3 bed house, 2 adults, 2 kids plus 2 extra kids at weekends.

Washing machine is on 2/3 times a day, front and back gardens that need watering, and at least 2 baths a day are had in our house.

Our water bill arrived on Saturday and covers the past six months - £164 on a meter. We both have a shower each day, OH has a bath a couple of times a week, the dishwasher is used every other day and the washing machine is used probably 4 times a week.

£50 seems extortionate to me, especially if there are only two of you and you don't have baths, use a dishwasher or water the garden with it.