Home size to decide water bills

[Taf]

Water bills will be determined by the size of customers' homes under a new billing system from Thames Water.

Household bills currently based on an average metered bill will be placed in one of three bands based on the number of bedrooms at the property.

Thames said the system would better reflect the amount of water households use and result in lower bills.

It said 24,000 one or two bedroom properties would see their bills drop to £200 or £217 a year from £245.

However, 11,500 homes with three or more bedrooms would see their bills increase to £266 from £245.

Thames said it made the changes after a customer survey last year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7227793.stm

OFWAT wanted bills to be based on occupancy, proved by Council Tax records... but Thames are basically saying "SOD YOU" to the regulator. It'll drop the bill for Buckingham Palace though....

Other water companies are likely to follow Thames Water.... but with hikes for ALL homes....

[Anna]

Thats odd ... I always thought it was based on the size of the house 
When I lived on my own in a 3 bed house I obviously didn't use the amount of water a 'normal occupied 3 bed' would use and so I had a water meter installed to save myself money, which worked out fine.

[Taf]

The bills have been based on "rateable value" which hasn't existed since the poll tax started.

Down here they are looking at pricing based on Council Tax Band. 

[Anna]

Oh dear !! We don't want that !!

[Taf]

OFWAT has also told all water companies to increase their bills to pay for infrastructure repairs and renewal... and police people who use water for swimming pools, sprinklers and fountains without paying an excess for it...

[Nanaof2]

Our water is metered as we own a new (ish) house - gfor two of us its half the cost it would be if it were based on the council tax.

I agree with the extra charges for bigger users - eg, swimming pool owners, etc - if they can afford a pool they can afford to pay for the water in it - my ex-neighbour when I lived in Rochester used to fill his pool every time his garden needed watering - even when there was a hosepipe ban - he was allowed to by law! He had the greenest garden for miles around (except mine as I lived DOWN the hill from him!  )