Parents on water-meter & not on any benefits ...

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Hi All

As Mum's doubly incontinent, Dad's using the washing machine up to 3 times a day and Mum has to be washed / bathed very often. Dad's last water bill for 6 months was £400.

Is there any scheme (eg offered by the water company or government) that might reduce their costs please? They live in Wiltshire.

if there is one (unlikely!), how do I go about accessing it for them please?
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
0
74
Durham
There's another scheme called WaterSure for some vulnerable groups. You or someone in your household would need to be receiving a means-tested benefit and either:
have responsibility for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property; or
have a medical condition that requires significant additional use of water
If you qualify for this scheme, you'll pay no more than the average household bill for your region, even if you use more than the average amount of water.


Taken from this ,
http://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/moneyandlegal/finance/Pages/Utilitybills.aspx

Sorry just realised you said they are on no benefits ,
I would phone the council and ask about it x


or Wessex Waterboard
http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/about/threecol.aspx?id=2512
 
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Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
Unfortunately, if you are not on any means-tested benefits, there doesn't seem to be any help. I've tried...
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
Once you have a water meter, can you not go back to the old way of paying your water bill, the flat rate if that would be cheaper?

Do they originally tell you about water meters and give you the option of having one as I haven't heard in our area.
 

jaymor

Registered User
Jul 14, 2006
15,604
0
South Staffordshire
You have the option to ask for a meter to be fitted. They come to see if it is possible to have one and if it is then it is fitted free. You have 12 months in which to make up your mind if it will benefit you. If in that time you decide it is not for you they will remove it free and you return to the old system.

If you say yes you will keep it then that meter is permanent and will not be removed, it stays with the house for the life of the house.

My husband was not incontinent whilst at home and our water meter cut our water bill by over a half and now I am on my own it is even less.

Jay
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
6,050
0
Salford
It seems it's not possible to go back to unmetered after a year so one possibility might be to get a more efficient washing machine. If you're using it 3 times a day I would suggest getting a bigger one so you can cut down the number of times you use it, this would not only save water but electricity too and so pay for itself fairly quickly.
Modern AAA+ machines use much less water and electricity and a big washing machine (around the 10kg mark) run once works out much more efficient than running a 5kg one twice.
The other thing to look out for is spin speed, the faster the speed the dryer the clothes come out and if you can hot and cold fill.
K
 

rajahh

Registered User
Aug 29, 2008
2,790
0
Hertfordshire
I was put on a "cap" amount by my water board. It was certainly less than the amount you are paying.

We were not on any means tested benefit. My husband did have attendance allowance, that was all.
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Hi rajah
How did you go about getting the "cap" please? Do you just ring up the water company customer services people and ask whether they've got such a scheme? Do you know the name of your scheme please?
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Hi kevinl
suspect the amount of work the washing machine's doing will soon mean we need a new one!!! It's an efficient machine though ... and relatively new.
 

rajahh

Registered User
Aug 29, 2008
2,790
0
Hertfordshire
My water company is Veolia. I rang up and they sent a letter back saying that I wasn,t using enough even with all the washing I was doing. I think the cap was about £300 a year. I was told once it got to that amount to send the form back. It never did. It was done on medical grounds because my husband had Alzheimer's and was incontinent
 

LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Sorry-just to throw something else into the mix:eek: That does sound like a lot of £'s even with the washing machine going full tilt/ keeping your Mum clean. Could you have a water leak outside the house? I'm not sure if water companies can check for that.

Take care

Lyn T
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Thanks rajah and Lyn T

We don't know how much of the water is being used "properly" and how much may just go straight down the plug hole when Mum wanders and leaves taps on ...
 

LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Thanks rajah and Lyn T

We don't know how much of the water is being used "properly" and how much may just go straight down the plug hole when Mum wanders and leaves taps on ...

Ah! Sorry I hadn't thought of that. I know you can get a gas cooker cap-I wonder if you can get something similar for water taps. I'm going to Google.

Take care

Lyn T
 

LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
After a very quick look the advice is ask at a plumbing shop. There is something apparently. Could be worth a try?

Take care

Lyn T
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,072
0
Bury
"... Could you have a water leak outside the house? I'm not sure if water companies can check for that..."

Take a meter reading, both black and red digits, don't use any water for an hour, read the meter again, if the reading is more there is a leak after the meter either between the meter and the house or in the house.

Turn off the water at the stop c0ck in the house, repeat above.

If the leak is still detected there is an underground leak, you need to find a builder/plumber.

If there is no leak the problem is in the house. Main suspect is the toilet, when there is a faulty valve modern toilets discharge into the bowl, which may not be noticed.
The old method of discharging outside through what was colloquially termed an overflow pipe but more correctly called a warning pipe made a faulty valve obvious.

You could start by visually inspecting the toilet instead of doing the meter readings.
 
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LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Thank you Nitram

Very useful information. I had the thought but but absolutely no idea how to carry it out. I'm going to print your reply just in case I need it in the future.

Take care

Lyn T
 

halojones

Registered User
May 7, 2014
438
0
We also have a water Meter,and the bill is high as I use a lot of water due to a scalp problem(I am always washing my hair,it drives me mad,).I was told about the cap by the carers centre..So I had to get a letter from my doctor to say what was my illness was, it is £25 for the letter, but my doctor printed off a statement for free....So, I sent this in to Southern Water,also with benefit letter...I received a letter back saying I don't qualify..You need to be on benefits ,HB,Pension Credit,CTaxBenefit,etc..Incontinence does qualify..I think it does vary from different water companies, but I don't know for fact..The site to look on is http://www.directgov.co.UK/..Good luck, I hope you get it capped....
 

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