Bills are necessary if undesirable part of life. You need to pay for electricity, water, gas, and a host of other items and services every month. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that the average Australian spends 40% of their income on bills.
It is important to monitor your bills to ensure the amount you are paying and using is reasonable. If you notice an increase in any bill you should investigate further. Even a small leak can make a big difference to your water bill.
When your water bill has suddenly become a lot higher you’ll need to find out why and potentially call a reputable emergency plumber to resolve the issue. It is also worth being aware of the 5 most common reasons for a high water bill:
1. Additional Use
The first thing to consider is whether your water usage is roughly the same as normal. Do you have guests staying that are using more water than you would normally? Perhaps you have a child that has started showering more often and likes to take long showers.
You may even have taken up gardening and be using more water to look after your new plants.
Take a moment to evaluate the behavior of your family and any guests, it can be enlightening.
2. Water Leak
Perhaps the most common reason for a jump in your water bill is a water leak. Unfortunately, the issue with water leaks is that they can be hard to notice. Water leaks are often a result of old pipes that are buried in walls and subject to high levels of moisture. This causes corrosion but you may not realize you have a leak until you see the water bill or notice a stain on the floor, wall, or ceiling.
The best approach is to stop using water for a couple of hours. Note your water meter reading at the beginning and the end of that period. If it has changed you have a leak.
3. New Appliances
Something that many people overlook is a new appliance. A dishwasher theoretically uses less water than washing by hand. But, if you have just had a dishwasher fitted have you stopped washing all the dishes by hand?
Equally, you may have just invested in a swimming pool and used a lot of extra water to fill it up. Think about what you have been using water for lately.
4. Someone Else using Your Water
This is generally unlikely but not impossible. If you are out for large sections of the day you may find that someone else is using your water when you are not there, costing you money and saving them money.
You should note, this is not always human interference, animals can also use your water.
5. Water Filter
Finally, you should note that water softeners use backwash cycles to keep the filter working properly. That means they use a little water to clean the system and this small extra amount can add up and make a difference to your bills.
