Save £500 on your water bill
It’s the hidden utility – everyone knows they can save on energy bills (though many don’t) – but few see water as a big issue. Yet with prices set to rise up to 5% in just over a month, our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is here to show how some people can save up to £500 a year.
From 1 April, water bills in England and Wales are going up by an average 1% – though some are going up as much as 5% (Dee Valley customers). That will increase the average water bill to £389.
Water is a funny industry. It is privatised, but there’s no competition. You can’t switch supplier – although there is a discussion for this to happen, with an outcome later this year. Instead to save it’s all about what works for you.
1) Does your home have more bedrooms than people or the same number?
If yes and you’re in England and Wales, then it’s likely you’ll save by switching to a free water meter (in Scotland there’s a fee, which usually means it’s not worth it, and in Northern Ireland there’s no need for a meter as water is free anyway).
That’s because water bills are based on rates – roughly the value of your house from way back in 1989. The bigger your house the more you pay, but the fewer people in it, the less you use. So switching from a bill based on your house value to a meter that measures your usage is worthwhile for those with spare rooms.
To find out exactly if you’ll save by switching to a meter use theConsumer Council for Water calculator. Just keep an eye on your bills to check your saving, and if not you can switch back after 12 months or a month after your second bill, whichever is later.
However, there are some who have been forced to get a meter – in which case you don’t have a right to switch back.
2) What if you’re not allowed a meter?
Water companies must fit one on request, unless it’s impractical, like if you live in a block of flats with shared pipes. If not, ask for an 'assessed charge bill'. This is worked out on details such as how many people live in your home, but varies from company to company. And if the assessed bill is higher than what a metered charge would have been, you can ask to stick to a rateable bill.
3) 5 water saving tips…
While of course these provide most benefit for people on meters, they also help the environment and actually save others money too – £140 of a typical annual energy bill involves paying to heat water so using less can help.
- If it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down. I don’t really need to explain this one; I think you get it. And at the very least if your loo has two buttons try to only use the big flush when necessary.
- Save your washing up for one wash. Instead of washing up as you go, save it and do it in one go to minimise the amount of waterused.
- Steam your veggies. It’s healthier and tastier than boiling them and uses a lot less water too.
- Load up the washing machine, but not the kettle.Wait until you've a full load before using your washing machine or dishwasher. Some new washing machines use fewer than seven litres of water for each kilogram of clothes, while modern dishwashers can use as little as 10 to 15 litres of water a cycle. But don’t fill the kettle if it’s just for one cuppa (big energy saver that too).
- Bundle into the bath. Get up close and personal with your otherhalf and share your bath. Or put the kids in together to save water.
4) Water saving freebies
Whether on a water meter or not, you can get freebies from watercompanies that’ll help use less water and can slash water and energy bills by £100s. Save Water Save Money, who provides the freebies,estimates a special showerhead can save a typical household roughly £26 on energy and water bills, while a Bath Buoy (a toy that sticks to the bathtub, helping you use less water) can save the same home about £30 a year.
You can only get freebies from the water company you’re with, but here are a few examples of what you can get…
Anglian Water – Garden water saving kit.
Affinity Water – Bath Buoy, shower timer, brushing teeth timer, eco-showerhead and save-a-flush bag.
Severn Trent Water – Save-a-flush bag, toilet leak detection tablets, tap aerator kit (reduces flow of water from tap), water saving gel (use on plants to improve productivity of dry soil), fat trap (efficient way to get rid of cooking oil, preventing pipes blocking).
South West Water – Spray magic tap (reduces the flow of water from the tap), shower timer, ShowerSense flow reducer, Hippo toilet flusher (put in your toilet cistern to use less water when flushing).
Yorkshire Water – Save-a-flush bag, tap aerator kit, shower save kit (reduces flow of water from shower), shower timer.
United Utilities – Bath Buoy, brushing teeth timer, shower save kit, tap aerator kit, shower timer.