Thames Water Bill Too High: Why & What To Do

Thames Water is the largest water and wastewater services provider in the United Kingdom, supplying 2.6 billion liters of drinking water and treating 4.7 billion liters of wastewater every day.

Your water bill is either based on a fixed rate or the amount of water you really use, as detected by a water meter.

The water company wants payment in advance if you pay for water without a meter. If you believe your water bill is excessive, you should contact your water provider.

It is better to have a water meter, you will know all the details of your water bills and won’t be charged extra.

Meters seem to be the fairest method of payment because you only pay for what you use, giving you greater control over your bill.

Why Is Your Thames Water Bill High?

There could be a lot of reasons if you are wondering why your water bill is too high. Here are a few reasons that can raise your water bill.

A new addition to the home, for example, could cause your cost to be more than you thought. If you have a child under the age of twelve months, you can join our Priority Services Register.

If this is not the case, something within or outside your home could be causing an increase in usage.

Like, if you have recently installed a new water appliance, such as a power shower, or are you experiencing a problem with a flowing overflow or leaky tap?

Perhaps you have installed a water softener or the old system isn’t functioning properly, or your toilet overflows on a regular basis.

Faulty fittings waste water and cause you to use more.

If it’s not something that can be done within your home, you might want to think about other choices.

Have you had any internal or external building work done, or have you filled a pond, swimming pool, hot tub, or large paddling pool because of the weather or a new lawn?

These are the reasons that you should be careful of if your bill is too high. Taking care of the above reasons may help you reduce your bill.

Can I Get A Refund From Thames Water?

If you have a credit on your account, they will either transfer it to your new Thames Water account or process a refund within five to 15 days, depending on how much you owe them and how you paid. You must pay the metered charges if you move into a metered property.

If you believe you are entitled to a refund, you must submit a claim by filling out the refund request form.

You’ll need to give some information when filing a claim, such as proof of tenancy and proof of identity. This is done to guard against bogus claims.

The claim will be paid into the bank account supplied after it has been investigated and authorized.

However, if you owe money on your prior rent account, outstanding court fees, or Housing Benefit overpayments, the credit will be used to reimburse those first, and any refund due will be taken from the credit.

All refund requests will be handled by a specialized team. However, depending on the volume of requests they receive, processing time may be longer than usual.

The Council expects to process reimbursement requests within eight weeks after receiving them, with current renters receiving priority. Former renters’ claims may take a little longer, but the Council will keep this group informed.

Has The Council Changed The Way It Pays For Thames Water?

The Council used to have a deal with Thames Water, like many other London boroughs, to collect water rates on their behalf while also collecting rent from council tenants.

The deal with Thames Water lasted from December 2005 to September 2019, and the Council was paid a commission for acting as an agent on Thames Water’s behalf throughout that time.

Recent court battles against two other London municipalities have cast doubt on this, with rulings that the councils were operating as water resellers and overcharging their tenants.

The Council now understands that it mistakenly overcharged tenants a portion of the commission that Thames Water paid as a result of the court orders.

How Can I Lower My Water Bill in the UK?

Water bills are one of the higher expenses of owning a home, and they’re only rising more. Most homeowners believe there is nothing they can do to reduce their water costs, but there are a few simple things you can do to conserve water and save money.

The majority of water bills in the United Kingdom are based on ‘rates.’ If you pay rates, you pay a fixed monthly sum based on the value of your home that remains constant regardless of how much water you use, which is why switching to a meter system is better.

Each person needs roughly 150 liters (or 270 pints) of water each day on average. You may save hundreds of pounds by switching from rates to meters and then monitoring your water consumption.

Here are a few simple things you can do to cut down on your water usage and, as a result, your water bills:

  • Fix leaky taps and leaks, which can squander the equivalent of a week’s worth of bathing.
  • While brushing your teeth or shaving, do not leave the tap running.
  • Shower instead of bathing because a quick shower can save up to a third of the water required for a bath.
  • Instead of rinsing every plate and cup under the faucet, do the dishes in a washing-up bowl.
  • Rather than washing veggies under running water, wash them in a dish.
  • Instead of a hosepipe, use a watering can in the garden.
  • Install a gadget in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used in the flushing process. With each flush, it can save up to 3 liters of water.
  • Don’t utilize half-load programs in your washing machine or dishwasher. Two-half loads use more water than a full load.
  • Do not wash your car too often, just clean the dust with a fabric.