I was hit with a £4,000 bill after Thames Water claimed I use 5,000 litres of water a DAY – but I’m hardly at home
THAMES Water is charging a man for 5,000 litres of water a day - but he swears he's hardly home.
The dad-of-two from South London says that he was slapped with a £4,000 bill for his water usage last year despite the fact he and his family are barely ever home.
The eyewatering bill comes as a massive shock to Varun, 35, who says he would usually be charged £27 a month for water at his old home in Harrow.
Ever since Varun moved to his new place in Croydon in 2020, he has been charged an average of £333 per month and says he has no idea why.
He also claims that Thames Water has been insisting the family have been using 5,000 litres of water a day even though they spend most of their time out of the house.
Speaking to , Varun said: "I was shocked when checking the invoice in my online Thames Water account.
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"I thought it might be some system error because before moving to Croydon, I used to live in Harrow and I used to pay around £27 per month as my water bill.
"When I moved to my current house in October 2020, my water usage was around 300 litres per day according to last year’s bills. But suddenly after February 2021, it started showing my usage as around 5,000 litres per day."
Varun says he was charged for water usage in November 2021, despite he and his family being in India for a month at the time.
He also believes his family doesn't use water beyond what's considered normal and doesn't think there's a leak.
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He said: "Our water usage is normal. It includes regular daily activities and a quick bath in the morning.
"We wash our clothes two to three times a week. I do not wash my car or have a garden where we would use lots of water.
"After I got this bill, the first thing I did was get a plumber to check for any leaks. The plumber said that there are no leaks inside the house."
He also claims his wife called Thames Water many times but wasn't able to get through. Finally, on March 22 a Thames Water worker visited their home but left "without properly finding out about the issue".
Seven tips to cut your bill
1. Change the way you wash up
When it comes to washing dishes, be sure you turn the tap off. If you’re doing it in the sink, leaving it running will add £25 to your annual bill.
2. Take shorter showers
Energyhelpline.com estimates the annual cost of a daily bath is £300, compared to £230 if you shower instead – a saving of £70 a year.
3. Check your garden hose
Regularly check hoses, connectors and taps for leaks.
4. Use a water filter
One expert has said anyone using a water filter jug at home instead of splashing out on bottled water will save between £2.50 and £5 a day.
5. Get help paying your bills
The helps people on benefits with school age children or who need water for medical reasons.
6. Get a water meter
Martin Lewis recently urged households to check whether they should get a meter to save as much as £500 a year.
The average saving after getting a meter is £200 a year, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
7. Get freebies from your water company
Many water companies will give you free water-saving devices that could help to cut your bills.
Varun said: "We have been again contacting Thames Water to send someone to get our meter checked or find any leaks outside our home.
"Clearly we cannot afford to pay this amount. As such we are struggling with an increase in energy bills and other costs of living here.
"We can hardly make ends meet every month, so paying around £300 to £350 per month on water is out of question.
"One of Thames Water’s chat agents told us that if they find any issues with the current bill in due course they will refund us. But they don't understand where we are supposed to find the money to start with."
Thames Water said: "We’re sorry for the inconvenience and worry this has caused the family and are re-checking their account as a priority.
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"We’ve identified some readings from their water meter that require further investigation and will keep the family updated on our progress.
"We’ll also put the account on hold until the case has been fully resolved."
At the start of this month, the average combined water bill rose from £412 a year to £419, according to WaterUK.
In some cases, households have to pay up to £36 a year more.
Unfortunately you can't simply switch to another one when you're unhappy like you can with other utilities.
But there are simple ways your bill could be cut down.
Martin Lewis explained how some households can save up to £500 on their water bills by swapping to a meter.
On The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, the savings guru heard from one viewer who cut bills by £500 after switching to a water meter.
The average saving after getting a meter is £200 a year, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
"Water bills are often the forgotten utility but you need to focus on them," Martin said.
He said there's an easy way to check if a meter could reduce costs.
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If you've got more or the same number of bedrooms as people in your home, switching to a meter could save you money.
That's because households without a meter are charged in line with the value of their property.