High water bill - ISSUE SOLVED (see page 5)

[Agile]

Your leak test only identified a very minimal leak.

What you need to do is to measure YOUR own usage!

Take readings before and after you have showers, use washing machine etc.

Keep the stopcock turned off unless you are actually using water.

Then you can extrapolate the monthly consumption based on your measured usage.

What you do not seem to have done is to take meter readings when you are out and with the stopcock left on.

Tony

 

[Agile]

You say that you cannot afford to pay a plumber!

But surely if the leak is identified then you will save more than that on reduced water bills?

Don't you spend hundreds on cars, holidays, clothes etc.?

I hope you don't smoke but those people on Benefits Street all seemed to spend a lot on smoking and drugs out of their state pay outs. Many don't think that money intended for a good healthy diet is being wasted.

Tony

 

[redrabbit]

What you do not seem to have done is to take meter readings when you are out and with the stopcock left on.

Tony

That's a great point, I haven't done that - stupid me.

I will do that over the next day or two and see what differences there are.

 

[redrabbit]

You say that you cannot afford to pay a plumber!

But surely if the leak is identified then you will save more than that on reduced water bills?

Don't you spend hundreds on cars, holidays, clothes etc.?

I hope you don't smoke but those people on Benefits Street all seemed to spend a lot on smoking and drugs out of their state pay outs. Many don't think that money intended for a good healthy diet is being wasted.

Tony

Mmmmmmmm, well, I don't smoke and I don't do drugs. I work long hours and cope financially but don't have much extra money - as most of the UKs population!

I will try to get the leak repaired as best as possible.

GFs Dad is going to help too as he's fairly local and will keep monitoring water meter as you suggested

 

[Agile]

Stupid everyone else really who did not point that out.

You are not expected to be an expert in diagnosing leaks but the pros here are!

You need to confirm ( significant ) usage shown on the meter when you are not using water.

Tell us the time period and readings and we can calculate the monthly cost that this equates to.

Of course the water Supplier should have done that! If/as they did not then that's really a valid complaint. But their assistance with private leaks is probably only discretionary.

Tony

 

[redrabbit]

Thanks Tony - will monitor two periods... one with the stop cock on, and me using the water... and in the house all day.

And a period when I'm out of the house all day, with the water just left on as normal.

Will re-post Monday or Tuesday with results!

 

[redrabbit]

Just at home, and been thinking... please look at this picture of my house...

Basically, it's a maisonette over two floors. I have my own door, but underneath my house, is a flat. The houses (in red) sit on top the ground flats below (in blue)

I noticed that I have a water cover, and so does next door - both houses. Similarly, the houses a couple of doors down do as well.

But the flats in the middle highlighted in blue DON'T.

The stop cock in my house is on the first floor in my house in the downstairs toilet. This is on a big massive round pipe that I can't really see as it's boxed in quite well. The pipe seems to continue downstairs... to the flat.

Is it possible...

That the water coming into my property, actually is for the downstairs flat as well?

The same for all the houses? It would account for a big bill, it would account for the meter STILL running when the stop cock is off all day.

I plan to approach downstairs but wanted to ask first as they're not home at the moment.[/u]

 

[Bunnyman]

As agile said ( he's usually wrong but not this time) the amount your meter moved while your not there is tiny and worth nothing. He's right tho what we should have said is monitor ur usage for say 2 or 3 days post back and let us know, it's nice to follow a problem to its conclusion

 

[redrabbit]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Tomorrow I am leaving water supply on, but will monitor reading before and after work.

Will also do some research. My properly is leasehold, maybe they would sort it out - or my insurers. Either way will keep monitoring.

Thanks again - really appreciate your help.

 

[Agile]

You don't seem to have said where the meter is located.

Turn the water off at the meter for long periods of evening for example and see if anyone squeals!

Tony

 

[redrabbit]

The stop cock is in side my house.

The meter is at the end of the pathway, on the main pavement by the road. How do I turn it off by the meter? It's about 1.5feet down so it's quite hard to see properly.

 

[redrabbit]

I'm going to try to turn my outside stop cock off - the one near the water meter.

Untitled

• redrabbit
• 24 Feb 2014
• 1

I'm not actually sure how though - do I need a special tool, as there doesn't appear to be any taps to turn.

Once turned off I can ask downstairs if their water is running or not.

 

[redrabbit]

Yea - ideally I want to turn water off at the meter but I'm not sure how.

Also, I've left the water on all day, whilst out, leaving an empty house and have two readings:

7am: 224.871
5pm: 224.972

So a bit of movement, not sure how to calculate what that really means though.

 

[Nige F]

the red numbers are tenths and hundredths of a cubic metre one cc = 1 000 000 th of a cubic metre

 

[redrabbit]

UPDATE: SOLVED THE ISSUE???

This is the layout of my house and neighbours:

If I turn off the outside stop valve - located UNDER the water cover, directly next to the meter... the meter shuts down and it turns all the cold water off in my house.

HOWEVER... it also shuts off all of the flat's downstairs.

... ...

I think The meter is on the supply pipe for both me and downstairs. This would account for such a big bill.

It would also account for why the meter runs all day long, even with my INTERNAL stop cock off - because they are using it!

There are no outside leaks that I can see, no sound of water.

Do you think this all adds up - even with my little knowledge I'm sure it can only mean I'm paying for both our properties supply.