As bills for everything are rising across the UK in the cost of living crisis, householders are looking for ways to reduce the amount they pay for regular charges - such as gas, electricity and water. There are many well-known tricks for reducing energy charges, such as making sure you turn off anything you aren't using and blocking up any gaps and holes that could be driving up your heating bills.
But a lesser-known trick could also dramatically cut the cost of your water bills - which are on average already more than £400 a year per household. The hack involves increasing the amount of allowance your water company uses for 'sewerage abatement'.
In short, your water company estimates that 90% of the water you take into your house goes back into the sewers - usually either down the drain or flushed into the toilet. The company allows 10% of your water usage for things such as watering your garden or filling a pond or hot-tub - and reduces your bill accordingly.
You won't be charged as much for that 10% of your bill as the water is not going into public sewers. And if you can prove that more than 10% of the water you use doesn't go down the drain, then your bill wil be cut to match.
Anglian Water, for example, explains: "We calculate 90% of the water used by most households will flow back into sewers for recycling. A 10% allowance is made for things like watering the garden.
"You could increase this allowance if you can show us that less water is being released back into the public sewers. For example if you have:
- a pond
- a swimming pool
- a spa or hot tub
- a grey water harvesting system
that isn't connected to the public drainage system.
"Lawn and seasonal watering allowances can also be requested."
Thames Water says: "We assume that only 90% of your clean water is returned to our sewers. This 10% difference is called a Wastewater Abatement and is reflected in our wastewater charges.
If you have a water meter and can prove that more than 10% of the water you use doesn’t return to our sewers for treatment, you can apply to reduce the cost of your bill even further."
You can prove how much water you use doesn't go back into the sewer using a Water Meter Flow Gauge, which you can buy from retailers like Amazon for less than £30. This measures how much water you use, for example, on an outside tap for jobs such as watering your garden or filling up pools and ponds.
You then contact your local water company and apply for the reduction, which usually means filling in an online form or calling a dedicated number. Anglian Water said: "Having a sub meter fitted to an external supply like a garden tap can also help reduce your bill. Because the water you use in the garden doesn’t go back into the sewers, we can adjust the amount you are paying for sewerage services once you provide us with a reading from the sub meter."
