Not wanting to be nosey, but can people tell me what they pay for water rates?
I live in Chapeltown in a 3 bed semi and Yorkshire Water want £349.99 a year. This is a massive increase from a 2 bed in Birley Carr. I know the charges are based on the rateable value, this however seems a mythological figure that seems to have no basis in the real world. At that price I've applied to go on a water meter. According to the Yorkshire Water website even heavy useage will be on average £80 a year cheaper.

we pay around 280-300 per year i think in hallam area where we are renting a 2/3 bed semi. It is not a metered supply though. I think it also depends on the number of people staying... hope this helps.

Just got our new water bill 2day
3 bed semi Shiregreen = £258

3 bedroom semi in Handsworth £340

Kady

We have a 3 bed terrace in Walkley ours has come in 198 sobs for the year, guess we got off light. x

I got mine today, just over 200 quid.

I used to work for a call cente for the water board in the North West, the rateable value system was the cause of many peoples complaints! And its not surprising...

The rateable value was based on council tax evaluations which was taken in the 1980's, it does not take into account any changes in your property or the neighbourhood surrounding it since then, which is a bit strange to say the least.

What made many people angry was when I had to explain that the water charges are increased if you live near to a school or a bus stop and local shops!!

If youre living alone, or in a two person household with a high RV youre probably much better off on a water meter (which they do for free in the NW, dont know about Yorkshire though).

matthew

Two bedroom flat in Sharrow, metered, £300 per year. Previously we had a four bed semi in Hillsborough unmetered based on rates and that was over £400 a year.

£220 for the year in hillsboro' 3 bed largish terreced, but my mum lives on the regent court flats in a small 2 bedroomed and hers is over £400!

I used to live in a house on Ecclesall Rd and the water rates for a 3 ned house was roughly £200 per year... Then we moved to Ranmoor and the charge shot up to £400 per annum. And that was for a 2 bed flat!!! We went onto a meter so, although we have to be careful about leaving the tap on when we clean our teeth, the water charge is £16 a month rather than the £33 it was prior to that!

Would really recommend gettinga water meter. It cost nothing to install, and although it means you cannot be wasteful of water, you save loads!

Originally posted by msdiane
£220 for the year in hillsboro' 3 bed largish terreced, but my mum lives on the regent court flats in a small 2 bedroomed and hers is over £400!

the rateable (and therefore the water-rates) value on a flat is for some daft reason higher than on a house.

It's totally bizzarre.

PT

Moved into a house in Lodge Moor last year. Water rates were £700 per year but the house has a meter that the previous people did not want to be billed by. I asked Yorkshire water to read the meter straight away and it's cost me about £230 for the last 12 months. Moral of the story.....water meters can save you money.

Recieved my bill today 169.35 p for large 3 bed terrace town area

£264.88 for my house in Burngreave.
Seems about average.

we pay £3.90 a week on on top of our rent for a 2 bed semi so thats erm.... £200, seems quite average to me

hi, mines 150 quid live at s9 in a terrace house, and it has increased from last years

Wow! thought i was hard done by at £214 in firth park! Its gone up every year, and it seems outrageous to me, but I see that everyone else has to pay loads more.

Will stop grumbling and count my blessings immediately!

2 bed flat in Hemsworth, £358.. I keep fish so I doubt a water meter would be cheaper for me. :)

If you switch to a meter and then find you are paying more than before, is it possible to switch back to 'All you can drink' basis?

You can change back in the first 12 months, but not after that.
Unfortunately, if you move into a house with a meter, you can't get rid of it!

There are some indicators of average metered charges for different sized households here. (http://www.yorkshirewater.co.uk/youraccount/install.html)

I was reading about water rates in the guardian yesterday. The advice they gave was that meters are the best way forward if theres less than three people in the house or if you think you have alow useage rate. The thing to watch is that if you have a high level of water use it may cost you more by meter.

Hope that helps.

Dave

Originally posted by chocotiger
Just got our new water bill 2day
3 bed semi Shiregreen = £258 Im roughly same area as you with 3 bed semi but my bills only £244.44.How can they charge one home more than the other.It seems unfair to me.:(

I am now dreading just how much I'm going to be paying on West Street next year >.<

Originally posted by cgksheff

There are some indicators of average metered charges for different sized households here. (http://www.yorkshirewater.co.uk/youraccount/install.html)

Based on what other people are paying, and the estimated costs of a water meter, I'll stick with the £180 flat-rate we are paying!

Originally posted by Hook
I am now dreading just how much I'm going to be paying on West Street next year >.<

I live in West One and I've just paid about 20 quid for three months water (its on a meter) - that seems pretty reasonable to me (although perhaps years of living in London has warped my perspective on these things :suspect: ) :P

£487 for a 3 bed semi!! Robbery.

I think we're unlucky because house was built about 1987 and would therefore tend to have a higher RV than older properties.

Don't know if we'd save much from a meter - two kids - washing machine almost permanently on - plus had a dishwasher put in kitchen last year.

mine has gone up to £23 a month for a 1 bed flat in castle court (hyde park) we have to ask permition to have a water meter put in and tbh i cba.
i was paying less in my 2 bed house tho which was in woodthorpe (you can see why i moved)

Ive just got mine through and to be honest its extortionate!!!! nearly £600 per year. And weve had loads of problems with our water pressure to our house causing major damage to plumbing etc (repairable at our own expense). Apparently a neighbour has complained but were told it was down to us to put a pressure reducing value in. We'll be doing our own roadworks next!!!! WHATS HAPPENING.... In Sheffield we have to pay loads and loads of council tax then get shafted for everything else!!!

I live in Chapeltown in a two bedroomed property.I currently pay approx £250.I understand this is going up to £300 +.the fees seem a little too high.definately think a water meter is a good idea !

technophobe - absolutely no relationship between council tax and water rates.

Water companies are private companies who have to make a profit for their shareholders.

I live in a 2-bed, end of terrace house, in Lowfield. Water rates have gone up to £181.51. I thought this was very high. Having read other entries - I'm suddenly feeling very fortunate! No longer complaining.

Originally posted by Longcol
technophobe - absolutely no relationship between council tax and water rates.


I'm afraid you're wrong, I used to work for a water board.

The Rateable Value assessed in the 1980's for council tax is used to calculate the price you pay for water to this day (if you do not have a water meter) regardless of any changes in the amount of council tax you pay.

Matthew

I've applied for a water meter to be installed, which can take up to 90 days apparently. I the meantime I have to continue paying £35pm. So before the meter is even fitted I'll have paid £105 in charges. If in the next 12 months I decide its not any cheaper I can have it removed, but after that its got to stay. The way they were trying to talk me out of it makes me think I could be cheaper on the meter.

Originally posted by technophobe
Ive just got mine through and to be honest its extortionate!!!! nearly £600 per year. And weve had loads of problems with our water pressure to our house causing major damage to plumbing etc (repairable at our own expense). Apparently a neighbour has complained but were told it was down to us to put a pressure reducing value in. We'll be doing our own roadworks next!!!! WHATS HAPPENING.... In Sheffield we have to pay loads and loads of council tax then get shafted for everything else!!!

It is with either great pleasure, or more likely, regret to inform you that you are not the only one being ripped-off. My bill has gone up by over £40 to £506.32. Think about it, it's staggering. There's a Water Standing Charge on there of £27.88 - anybody?!

You're in Beauchief, I'm in Lodge Moor. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!

You've got to be better off on a meter with charges like that, it's crazy the amount that's charged for some properties. I was told the reason mine are high was because I have two toilets. I did point out though I still only have to go and use it the same number of times. They didn't have an answer for that.

Originally posted by Ousetunes

You're in Beauchief, I'm in Lodge Moor. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!

Apply for a water meter now !!!!!

As I said in my previous posting, I moved to Lodge Moor and my water bill was £671.84. I asked the water board to start reading my meter and I've paid £175.22 in the last 12 months. I've got the bills in front of me now. £500 saving :)

Useage - 3 in family - 2 adults 1 child. Shower used 2-3 times most days, bath used less frequently, dishwasher and clothes washer seem to be on most days.

Cols - advice well and truly taken on board. Infact, after my posting on here and with my blood pressure levels rising quicker than the river Ouse after an inch of sleet, I telephoned Yorkshire Water and the lady I spoke to is sending me all the forms.

Gosh five hundred nicker would last quite a while behind the Shiny Sheff bar, even though he's just put Stella up to £2.70 a pint.

Cols - thank you.

Our water rates are 174.56 for year, 3 bed terrace, Hillsbro. Seems the lowest so far......

I pay £10.00 per month with Severn Trent water up at Halfway.The house is a Two bed town house with two people in it. The best thing i ever did was to get a water meter fitted.

Originally posted by Longcol
technophobe - absolutely no relationship between council tax and water rates.

Water companies are private companies who have to make a profit for their shareholders.

Longcol: the relationship is that I have to pay both and get shafted for both!!!! thats a relationship my my reckoning!

Originally posted by Ousetunes
It is with either great pleasure, or more likely, regret to inform you that you are not the only one being ripped-off. My bill has gone up by over £40 to £506.32. Think about it, it's staggering. There's a Water Standing Charge on there of £27.88 - anybody?!

You're in Beauchief, I'm in Lodge Moor. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!

Yes definately......

Originally posted by Cols
Apply for a water meter now !!!!!

As I said in my previous posting, I moved to Lodge Moor and my water bill was £671.84. I asked the water board to start reading my meter and I've paid £175.22 in the last 12 months. I've got the bills in front of me now. £500 saving :)

Useage - 3 in family - 2 adults 1 child. Shower used 2-3 times most days, bath used less frequently, dishwasher and clothes washer seem to be on most days.


Well thats it! after much deliberation I'AM GETTING A BLOOMIN WATER METER..... and then going to the nearest pub to neck the rest of my savings. lol :smile:

Matthewluck

Council tax didn't exist in the 80's.

You used to pay domestic rates (not council tax) based on the rateable value - in fact I seem to recall rates where only really paid by owner occupiers - I remember people at work having rates bills of nigh on £1,000 20 odd years ago.

And after that we had poll tax.......

Now we've got council tax - based on a totally different valuation to domestic rates.

longcol: your showing your age now..... lets face it either way our 'tax' goes up on the count of the many mistakes our council makes. To clarify this it does not make any difference which bloomin party has authority. If they commit themselves to a new project they dont stand to the costs....we do!! dont you agree??:loopy: :loopy:

I agree that council tax can increase due to mistakes by the council.

Water rates will increase regardless of how well / poorly the council (any council for that matter) are performing because they are set by a different body using different criteria.

Even if we had a 0% council tax rise next year (and pigs fly etc) we would still have a water rates increase of about 6%.

Recent announcements by Wetcom (or whatever the governing regulating body are called) states that water bills will rise steeply for the next five years to pay for "infrastructure projects".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3689507.stm

Am I alone in remembering that the privatisation 10 years ago was needed to pay for replacement of the aging Victorian water systems. Perhaps modern workmanship only lasts ten years these days :)

Originally posted by jayne67
Our water rates are 174.56 for year, 3 bed terrace, Hillsbro. Seems the lowest so far......

Our water rates came yesterday £119.48 for the year.
2 Bed semi.

£244 a year for a 2 bed flat in Fulwood

Originally posted by SnailyBoy
Not wanting to be nosey, but can people tell me what they pay for water rates?
I live in Chapeltown in a 3 bed semi and Yorkshire Water want £349.99 a year. This is a massive increase from a 2 bed in Birley Carr. I know the charges are based on the rateable value, this however seems a mythological figure that seems to have no basis in the real world. At that price I've applied to go on a water meter. According to the Yorkshire Water website even heavy useage will be on average £80 a year cheaper.

Had the water meter fitted, looks like my bill for the year will be over £100 cheaper for the year based on consumption so far.