| Author |
Message |
    
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2297
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:14 am: | 
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On average what are people spending for water these days?
I just received our bill this month and it seems awful high (it was high last month as well but my wife didn't question it). It was $143. When you look at the usage graph it seems that we have used three times the what we had been using in prior months. I know our sink drips if the faucet is at a certain angle so I am constantly checking to make sure that its not dripping.
The curious thing is that the water company replaced our meter about the same time I started noticing the increase in water usage. Could it bet that our usage was artificially low in the past? I think it claimed that we used something like 36,000 gallons last month. There were three adults and one child in the house during that month.
Seems odd but before I make the call I wanted to see what others are paying. |
Parkbench87
Citizen
Username: Parkbench87
Post Number: 3476
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:17 am: |
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Sports,
My bill is between $30-33 and we have 3 adults and 3 kids. Sounds like something is outta wack. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 1235
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:19 am: |
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That sounds WAY out of wack.
Ours is about $30 also for water usage. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2298
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:22 am: |
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Thanks. I thought so. Time to call them. |
SOSully
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 1137
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:24 am: |
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you probably have a leak outside the house. do you have water line protection? |
SOSully
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 1138
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:25 am: |
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actually that was a dumb answer. if the leak were outside the house, the meter wouldn't detect it...doh! |
SOSully
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 1139
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:26 am: |
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36,000 gallons....maybe the meter is busted. you don't have an aquarium with large sharks, do you? |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2299
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:49 am: |
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Called NJ american water - avg. usage is about 80 gallons per day per person. So at 4 people we should have used about 10K gallons per month. We are triple that. Something is wrong and they're going to be out tomorrow to check for leaks. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 372
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 11:10 am: |
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Our quarterly bill was for $126.15, "usage" of "29". We are 2 adults and 2 little kids.
After reading this post, I called the water company and was told the average cost for a family of four for the recent quarter was $183.60.
I asked them to come out and check for leaks, because it is free and I might as well know if they detect any, but I'm not really optimistic that I can get the bill much lower.
PS. Last year's Sep-Dec usage was 42! I attribute the decrease to the fact that we replaced our broken top-loading washing machine with a front loader. |
Oldstone
Citizen
Username: Rogers4317
Post Number: 529
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 1:24 pm: |
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i had the same problem a couple months ago. i called and they explained that the reason my bills were much lower last year is because they were all estimated versus this year they are trying to be more on top of things. i don't buy it, but what can you do? |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3094
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 1:52 pm: |
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Our bill runs in the $40-50/month range unless it is summer and we have been watering outdoors alot. Then it can sometimes be double that amount or more. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 978
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 3:25 pm: |
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Two adults, one very small child...we are between 28-35 every month. |
hch
Citizen
Username: Hch
Post Number: 197
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 4:33 pm: |
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Sounds suspicious to me, I don't think it's a leak. The water company is notorious for screwing up billing. I would question it until they get it right.
Our bill is in the $35 range per month, for about 4,000 to 6,000 gallons per month. Two adults, two young kids.
I would also suggest taking your own meter readings and comparing them to the bill.
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Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 377
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 7:29 pm: |
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Some people seem to be billed monthly and others quarterly - could that be the difference sportsnut?
(I had just assumed everyone was quarterly since our bills always have been for 8 years.) |
Jgberkeley
Citizen
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 4411
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 9:47 pm: |
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The water company uses remote meter readers. If they changed your meter, and did not match the pick-up unit to the new meter model, that could be your problem.
They will find it if that is the case,
Later,
George
$34.29 per month plus or minus 5-10. |
blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 481
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
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Average of $50 per month. 3 adults and 1 shower-happy teenage girl . This is a 2 family house also. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2304
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 1:50 pm: |
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They came, they looked for leaks, watched the meter and found nothing. Said to wait for next month's bill to see if it returns to normal. Took a reading and noted that we have used about 3K gallons since the last reading. I have to check when that was to compare. If it was a couple of weeks ago then it could be right. We'd be on track for about 9K gallons.
We don't have a dishwasher or shower happy teens. No leaks - nothing.
I'm betting that George is right, its a problem with the reader thingy. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12309
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 2:27 pm: |
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We just got notice that says we're due to have our meter changed. I hope this doesn't give us higher bills!
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Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 3931
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 2:30 pm: |
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Sports, you don't have a dishwasher??? |
blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 482
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 2:34 pm: |
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I have a dish-washer...the shower-happy teenager |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2305
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 2:50 pm: |
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Believe it or not we don't have one currently. We have a shiny new one waiting to be installed hopefully in a couple of weeks when our kitchen is completed but as of right now no dishwasher. We started out wanting a dishwasher and wound up re-designing the whole kitchen. |
Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 3932
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 4:30 pm: |
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That's the story of my life... |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 383
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 9:29 pm: |
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Hard to believe, but I've read that people tend to use way more water washing dishes by hand that a diwshwasher uses. It'd be interesting if your water consumption goes down after you begin using your new dishwasher!
(PS. who did you kitchen and would you recommend them?) |
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