[stresslesscleaning]

I've been thinking about water costs and in particular, how to ask a meaningful question without appearing stupid.  I couldn't find a relevant post and since i'm a newbie, I don't know what I don't know (a sound a bit like Donald Rumsfeld).

Anyway, can you fellas tell me what impact the following water consumption has on your household bill (assuming you get your water from your house) for say the following daily water tank top up of a :-

1.0 - 250 Liter
2.0 - 600 Liter
3.0 - 1000 Liter

I'm not sure if I have a water meter and if its at all relevant, cheaper or more expensive.

Anyway, what you fellas got to say about water costs? 

Martin

[Dougaldum]

Just add our water bill of 100 poun ???ds This will also go against my tax I've got 2 jobs window cleaning and bin cleaning 5000 liters  will be  for work don't know if this helps

[stresslesscleaning]

So what your saying is, whatever my water bill is, just use it as a cost and include it for deducting against tax?

My problem is, I just don't understand my water bill.  It's the same with my electricity bill, I just don't get it.

I was thinking something like this.

Lets say that when I eventually start my round, I use on average 250 liters a day over 5 working days.  That's 1250 liters a week and lets say I work 45 weeks a year.  This would be 45 x 1250 liters = 56,250 liters per annum (in a hypothetical 1st year).

Would 56,250 liter's have a significant impact on my water bill?  Or would that sort of usage not be an issue with a typical water bill or household water consumption.

Washing machine goes on twice a week and one shower a day so nothing heavy is used in our house.

Martin

[dazmond]

if your on a water metre then itll say on the bill how much a cubic metre is.(eg £3)a cubic metre is a 1000L so 56000L will be £168 extra but you have sewage costs added on to this as the water company thinks itll be going down the drain.by the way this is if your DI only!

if your RO you could use double if not triple the amount of water due to the waste water!!which will make your bill more like £400-£450 a year extra on top of your normal household usage!

[Dave Willis]

£25 a week for me, business and household including sewerage rebate. RO

[bobplum]

if your on a water metre then itll say on the bill how much a cubic metre is.(eg £3)a cubic metre is a 1000L so 56000L will be £168 extra but you have sewage costs added on to this as the water company thinks itll be going down the drain.by the way this is if your DI only!

if your RO you could use double if not triple the amount of water due to the waste water!!which will make your bill more like £400-£450 a year extra on top of your normal household usage!

this is the method i would use
but you can also buy an inline water meter,if you do use a ro machine and you will know exactly how much you use,i think they are £20 on ebay

[spongebob]

Martin
In another post you talk about working in an office yet you cant even work out your household bills.
You dont even know if the house you now own without a mortgage has a water meter!!
The question you ask is totally pointless if you dont have a meter as we could all fill up at your house for free. You will pay the same per year regardless.
First find out if you have a meter. Next to the stop tap outside your property or next to the stop tap under your sink for example would be a good place to look.
Check your bill and it will quote a meter number or meter readings if you have one. If not it will just say annual charge based on old rateable value of property.

After you have done that then the question of how much for water can be answered if it even applies.
Andy

[stresslesscleaning]

Andy, Mark, Bob, Daz

Thanks for your comments and feedback.

Andy, you are perfectly right, I will investigate.  To be honest, when it comes to bills I tend to bury my head in the sand.  When i was first starting out in life and received my first lot of household bills, i nearly had a break down because i just didn't know how to budget for them, no one ever taught me.

After getting into debt over my bills, I eventually considered a service called Secure Homes but couldn't bring myself to pay for a service which i thought i could do myself (a bit like Franchising v's DIY window cleaning really, in my view).

In the end and about 15 years ago, I moved to monthly direct debit for all my bills and after a few months bedding in, I managed to get a  grip of my household expenditure and completely de-stressed myself.  Consequently, i never ever look at my bills again, i know i should but i don't.  I feel that paying by monthly direct debit kind of looks after itself.  This is why i have no clue about water and electric consumption, i kind of haze over when i look it it.

I think this might explain why i'm asking naive questions, but you are right, i need to get a grip and I guess i'll have to pay attention to this if I go self employed WC.

In the mean time, what do you fellas think about this trolley as the basis of a DIY trolley system.  Do you think it will be strong enough and if strong enough, will it be awkward to steer down alleys and through gates etc.  Just researching I am and I think it might be fairly easy to lift in and out of the vehicle i eventually get.  It's on eBay.  The item number is 251101235705 and the link is:-


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garden-Platform-Trolley-Truck-Cart-Barrow-OT1010-Wooden-Sided-Wagon-/251101235705?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item3a76ccc9f9&_uhb=1

Martin

[spongebob]

Whatever works for you is good Martin.
But do you have a meter?
Forget that trolley as it is made from plywood and will fall apart when wet.

[stresslesscleaning]

I just spoke to my dad and told him what response i got to the this post and he laffed calling me an eejut, said i was a mutton dummy (meaning a brummy) and you haven't got a clue LOL.

I asked him, "where's the water meter then" and he told me it was in the street which i genuinely didn't know.  Anyway, it transpires i've got a water meter.  I suppose I now need to analyse what my water consumption has been, is and might be in future.

My dad's out the back building a wall and i mentioned that a cubic meter cost £3 and that a cubic meter is about 1000L of water.  He asked me if i Knew what a cubic meter was and I looked at him, said i might be a brummy but iaint that stupid (He's a paddy by the way).  He then pointed to the ton of sand he had delivered for the wall he's building and told me that the jumbo bag is a cubic meter so i now know what 1000L looks like too "GRIN"

[spongebob]

haha. your dad knows his stuff. at least he can help with the technical stuff.

Heres a link to a similar thread. You need to look at one of your bills and get a cost for water supplied per meter. Then see if the same water company charge for your sewage as well. It usually is and they charge about 90% of what comes in clean as sewage. This will give you a total price per cubic meter.

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=124615.0

[bobplum]

get your dad to run the business

[stresslesscleaning]

LOL

I am actually hoping he'll come out with me and also help me build my trolley system along with other things.

Basically, he's worked with long arms all his life and since he retired, i've noticed he's been at a loose end, pottering around the house, bored.  This is why he's building a wall out back.  Well actually, he knocked the f.e.c.k.e.r down so he could re-build it, he's definitely bored.

Having worked in a customer service department most of my life, i think i'd be good getting the work, talking to customers, canvassing etc and managing other aspects of the business (I have actually got a small business now which i run on ebay - I sell haberdashery, cottons, needles, lace and elastic for your knickers, cos i know you fella's like to wear your wife's knickers every now and then teehee).

Anyway, he on the other hand is kind and polite with people, he just don't like the gaffers and can be offensive with them which would include me, he's like that with me anyway and i'm his son LOL. But when left alone to get on with a job, he's a top painter and climber.

In the mean time, i'm dropping the odd hint that i'm exploring this as a career change and he's not dismissing it which he tends to do with any other idea's i've had.  He's engaging with me on it, asking the odd question and today, i'm gonna show him some you tube vids ive been watching on making a trolley system.  I'll see what happens after that but regardless of his response, i'm gonna do this myself anyway, would just be good to have him on side looking out for me.  I know he wont be able to resists getting involved when i start anyway,


martin

[stresslesscleaning]

Bob

Having read that article about water costs, i'm not worried about water costs any more.  I don't think it will ever be a problem, maybe after a good few years.  I'll be lucky if a i get through a 100-150 liters a day initially.