Are Yorkshire water being unreasonable?
Posted by Scottladd@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 32 comments
In April 2025, Yorkshire water posted me a new bill of £56 a month.
I'm on a meter, at this point I'd spent the last 6 months living by myself. My showers are less than 10 minutes each day. I called them up and told them where to stick their £56 and we agreed on £48, which is still quite frankly, outrageous.
This week I've had another, saying I'm using 22m3 more water this year AND there's been a 8% rise. They're once again asking for £56. This maths doesn't add up.
I have no leaks, I've now been living by myself for a full year. Are they just pulling this £56 number out of thin air?
Wanting replies before I have another stern phone call with them.
Thanks UK
ak30live@reddit
You're on a meter. You can get readings for the past say 3 years, work out your average usage per year, times it by the new increased price, add 10% contingency and tell them that's what you'll expect to pay this year. How does that compare to £56 pcm?
Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit
You're on a meter, how are you using the exact same amount of water each month?
Neat-Ostrich7135@reddit
I certainly don't use the exact same amount of gas each month, but my annual bill is still divided into 12 equal manageable payments.
Why not do the same for water?
I would expect much less variance in water usage because I do not water my garden.
ak30live@reddit
You don't. That's why you use an average over a reasonable length of time. Generally water meters are only read once or twice a year.
Most people have fairly similar usage per year, but not per month. Water companies like to bill a monthly amount that leaves people in credit because then the money is in their account so they can use it for other things, gain interest, and reduce the cost of having to chase bad debts. So they'll often over-estimate what you need to pay.
OP thinks their estimated bill of £56pcm is too high. But he can fairly easily work out what he thinks he needs to pay to see if he has a decent argument or not. If a rough calculation suggests £50pcm then probably not worth arguing with the water co (IMO). if his calc works out at a lot less tho then he can tell the company what he's wiling to pay and show them his figures.
Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit
That makes sense
hoganpaul@reddit
I know it's not a popular viewpoint but I gladly pay my water bill not for the water I use but for the shit - literal shit - they dispose of for me.
Damage2Damage@reddit
Sure, but that's two different fees (in some cases it can be two different companies), this post is specifically about the supplying water fee
hoganpaul@reddit
I don't know where you live but I am in the Yorkshire Water zone and I get one bill. This covers water - mine is unmetered for...reasons - and also sewage.
Lumpyproletarian@reddit
I pay my water bill by standing order not direct debit, that way I control how much goes out. If it’s ever too little I get an email and chuck an extra few quid into the account.
Ok-Plantain2948@reddit
What was your previous monthly rate?
Scottladd@reddit (OP)
Prior to the £48?
Honestly I forget.
Ok-Plantain2948@reddit
So how can anyone say the rise to £56 is unreasonable or not, if we dont know what it was a rise from?
Scottladd@reddit (OP)
I said it was from £48 to £56.
Before then it was considerably lower, I just don't recall the exact number. When it was lower, there was 2 people living here. Now it's just me.
Ok-Plantain2948@reddit
You didnt. You said in 2025 they tried to charge you 56, you then agreed 48. No word on what it was before the agreement.
Calm_Opportunity_919@reddit
Take showers not baths dont leave tap running when washing up l ony pay 24 a month on a meter
Sopzeh@reddit
Apparently for a ten minute shower it's regular shower -> bath -> power shower in terms of water usage.
Lunaspoona@reddit
I'm not on a meter but I pay £21 a month for a single person in a 1 bed flat. To be frank, I thought I was paying a lot as it used to be £9 a month until 4 years ago and I don't use the washing machine either (I use a laundrette).
I would keep pushing back as thats ridiculous! Are you sure there are no leaks? I had a very small leak in the toilet that cost me £700 in water a few years ago, so small i didn't even notice until they slapped me with that bill.
AutomaticInitiative@reddit
I'm in a two bed with a flatmate and United Utilities charges me £57 per month for both water and wastewater. Yes we're metered, and we use less than the average two person household, just United Utilities are fuckin scammers who keep putting prices up for "improvements to the network" but are still basically the worst for chucking all the sewage into the sea. In Blackpool we lost our blue flag beach because of those fucks and the sea is not currently safe to swim in.
Himantolophus1@reddit
Your payments will be based on usage over the past 12 months and any balance that's on the account. If there was a balance on your bill that would indicate you hadn't been paying enough previously. The question then is why?
If there's no leak (which it sounds like is the case) then you need to see how your actual usage compares to what would be expected for a household of your size and habits. If there's a conflict the question is then why? The payments aren't set on a whim, they are a reflection of your account status which is in turn a reflection of how much water you have used.
doctorgibson@reddit
Yorkshire Water charges £4.88 per cubic metre used (£2.18 for the treated water + £2.70 for the cost of treating the waste). So an additional 22 cubic metres will set you back by £107.36. Split over 12 months that's an extra £8.95 per month, so the maths seems to check out if you were actually using that much extra water?
Of course, it doesn't make sense that your usage suddenly goes up by 60 litres a day on average if you don't have any leaks and your lifestyle hasn't changed. Glad they kept the charges the same for you as it doesn't seem like that's the case
MiddleAgedDread123@reddit
You need to read your meter and check what they’re billing you for is in line with what the meter is saying. What’s your average usage per month?
Scottladd@reddit (OP)
They tried telling me I used 7250 litres of water a month.
Ceejayncl@reddit
That’s twice the average.
MiddleAgedDread123@reddit
It’s indeed a lot but have you actually read the meter to check their readings are correct? If they are and you believe it’s too much then you need to start looking for leaks!
El_John_Nada@reddit
United Utilities was pretty bad for that as well: despite being hundreds of pounds in credit and giving them monthly meter readings, they insisted on increasing our direct debit every other month (therefore increasing the credit even further). Those companies are all utter shite benefitting from monopolies.
srogijogi@reddit
The key information could be: how often Yorkshire Water is checking your water meter readings. I'm with them too, and they do it once a year. It means that they use crystal balls to estimate my usage for most of the year. Their crystal ball is broken, obviously.
Calm_Opportunity_919@reddit
Refuse to pay it say your not paying for polluted water fluoride is poison they all use it my water smells of chlorine
Psylaine@reddit
Do a tap test. Most leaks are not visible.
Scottladd@reddit (OP)
I tested using the metre. Got a readings left it for a few hours and retook. It was the same number.
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TedBurns-3@reddit
They go on your average usage so you're either using more or you have a leak
wongl888@reddit
If there are no leaks then the water must have been used by someone or some adjoining property?