Water bills

[Ludwig]

It amazes me how high water bills are and they justify it by saying the system needs a lot spending on it. As I cycle around a lot of isolated properties must create not only their own water but are also creating their own electricity and power prom generators and so on. Most things don't require pure clean water and in my garden I have a huge tank which fill up very quickly from a shed roof. I have am part of a motor homing community and worked on the show circuit and it is surprising how little water you can get by with. This way I am thinking of creating my own water supply so which would save me around £500 a year. Do any of you create your own water supply?
Also did any of you hear a programme on Radio 4 about where your water bill goes and the very convoluted, mystifying and complex we of people and organisations who are taking a cut from it.

 

[TVC]

How much do you pay then? Mine works at about £1 a day, which for an endless safe water supply and removing all my poo seems like a pretty good deal

 

[screenman]

I have a rainwater harvesting system, bit expensive for pumps etc. Which do not last forever, my water bill at £900 a year is still a tad expensive though.

 

[welsh dragon]

My bill for the year is £140. I have a septic tank that is emptied as and when needed. Last time was about 2years ago at a cost of £150.

if you have a stream you can use that. There are filters you can attach to
Pumps these days that can ensure that your water is safe to drink. We have a back up system with water tanks. If ever the mains pipe was to burst or leak, then we can use our own water for everything.. pumps are not too expensive these days.

 

[midliferider]

It is not just the money. It is about environment. There was a discussion about this on Radio 4 sometime ago.
We do not need water at levels safe to drink to flush our toilets.
It is just that we do not build energy efficient, environmentally friendly houses.

 

[TVC]

£900 wow! I have a three bed semi and I pay £370.

 

[midliferider]

My bill for the year is £140. I have a septic tank that is emptied as and when needed. Last time was about 2years ago at a cost of £150.

You need to take a shower/ bath more often

 

[welsh dragon]

You need to take a shower/ bath more often

wales equals plenty of water unfortunately. No chance of it drying up. cheeky begger

 

[midliferider]

I have a rainwater harvesting system, bit expensive for pumps etc. Which do not last forever, my water bill at £900 a year is still a tad expensive though.

You have a problem somewhere in your system. That is way too high for an average family. Believe me, I have lived in a house with 5 people who has no sense of saving energy, use dishwasher every night, washing machine 5 times a week etc. Still our water bill was maximum about £60.

 

[midliferider]

wales equals plenty of water unfortunately. No chance of it drying up. cheeky begger

I know it well, I used to live there.

 

[ASC1951]

.... my water bill at £900 a year is still a tad expensive though.

That is huge? How can it be so big, unless - which seems unlikely - you are still on water rates instead of a meter?

 

[Smurfy]

Maybe the water industry will go the same way as Railtrack. Insufficient investment to repair leaks, build reservoirs and modernise the system for a growing population, while the shareholders cream off lots of profits. When the business plan finally goes pop, the government (us tax payers) will step in to sort out and pay for the lack of investment and repairs, and the shareholders will get angry that after having scammed bill payers for years they've lost nearly all their initial investment.

 

[welsh dragon]

It amazes me how high water bills are and they justify it by saying the system needs a lot spending on it. As I cycle around a lot of isolated properties must create not only their own water but are also creating their own electricity and power prom generators and so on. Most things don't require pure clean water and in my garden I have a huge tank which fill up very quickly from a shed roof. I have am part of a motor homing community and worked on the show circuit and it is surprising how little water you can get by with. This way I am thinking of creating my own water supply so which would save me around £500 a year. Do any of you create your own water supply?
Also did any of you hear a programme on Radio 4 about where your water bill goes and the very convoluted, mystifying and complex we of people and organisations who are taking a cut from it.

Have a look online. That is the best place for advise. You can also find plans for the various options that you may like the look of.

 

[Roadrider48]

Mine works out to just over a fiver a week.

 

[ASC1951]

Maybe the water industry will go the same way as Railtrack. Insufficient investment to repair leaks, build reservoirs and modernise the system for a growing population, while the shareholders cream off lots of profits. When the business plan finally goes pop, the government (us tax payers) will step in to sort out and pay for the lack of investment and repairs, and the shareholders will get angry that after having scammed bill payers for years they've lost nearly all their initial investment.

I don't think Railtrack is a good example of your argument. The shareholders did not in fact 'cream off lots of profits'. There were dividends, granted, but most of them lost far more than that when HMG forced the company into administration, assisted by lies for which the Secretary of State was twice forced to apologise.
There is not and never has been a business plan which will allow railways to be built and run without taxpayer subsidy, usually in colossal amounts. You get chronic underinvestment whether it is nationalised or privatised, because subsidy is always needed and the consequences of underinvestment are generally the other side of an election ie in political terms, invisible.