Water Consumption Confusion
Discussion
Last year, our water consumption did this...
I only noticed this month when they bumped our monthly to £200 and we ran out of our credit buffer.
Clear sign of a link you'd have thought. It's a large house with 2 adults and 2 young kids, so it's the usual baths/showers/dishwasher/washing machine etc - we don't have a swimming pool or hot tub, nor has our normal water usage in the house increased in any way I can see that could cause this.
So the first thought is obviously leak, yet;
4 hours apart with no water being used and it hasn't moved so assume that rules out any major leak.
I'm stumped and UU won't let me go back to unmetered water
They did say if I could prove and fix a leak and the comumption went back down then they'd credit the account with the excess since it went up.
Edit: with all that said, the meter has crept a little in those 4 hours now I can see them clearly side by side on the screen, but I'm not sure how much I'd be expecting to see in terms of change.
I only noticed this month when they bumped our monthly to £200 and we ran out of our credit buffer.
Clear sign of a link you'd have thought. It's a large house with 2 adults and 2 young kids, so it's the usual baths/showers/dishwasher/washing machine etc - we don't have a swimming pool or hot tub, nor has our normal water usage in the house increased in any way I can see that could cause this.
So the first thought is obviously leak, yet;
4 hours apart with no water being used and it hasn't moved so assume that rules out any major leak.
I'm stumped and UU won't let me go back to unmetered water
They did say if I could prove and fix a leak and the comumption went back down then they'd credit the account with the excess since it went up.
Edit: with all that said, the meter has crept a little in those 4 hours now I can see them clearly side by side on the screen, but I'm not sure how much I'd be expecting to see in terms of change.
This is more me thinking out loud but I guess I need to do a longer test, overnight when we go to bed until I wake up and before the kids start flushing toilets etc.
The meter is in a detached garage so I will also need to do the following night with the water isolated internally to see whether it is in the house or between the garage and the house, which if there was a leak would probably be the best place to have one.
I've been round the house checking bathrooms (there's 7 of them!) and the utility room etc and no signs or sounds of a leak.
The meter is in a detached garage so I will also need to do the following night with the water isolated internally to see whether it is in the house or between the garage and the house, which if there was a leak would probably be the best place to have one.
I've been round the house checking bathrooms (there's 7 of them!) and the utility room etc and no signs or sounds of a leak.
I think that graph is created by averaging your meter readings, but even so, mine varies in line with meter readings, yours is remarkably static.
How does the meter reading history look - "view meter readings"?
Our reading dates are all over place - varies from 2 to 4 months. We also get a monthly email about usage and that info is generated from readers on bin lorries. I don't know if they also use that reading for billing, or if it's separate, although I did bump into a meter walking around last summer - he told me he'd read ours remotely.
How does the meter reading history look - "view meter readings"?
Our reading dates are all over place - varies from 2 to 4 months. We also get a monthly email about usage and that info is generated from readers on bin lorries. I don't know if they also use that reading for billing, or if it's separate, although I did bump into a meter walking around last summer - he told me he'd read ours remotely.
Yes I think you're right so it'd be difficult to pinpoint exactly when the problem started but it's still a massive increase which you'd expect to know the reason for considering the jump when no major change in habits has occurred?
We've only had a guy come round and read it once and he was a little confused as he said it's done remotely by bin lorries when he was here but they couldn't get a read on it last time.
I spoke to them on the phone and all they could say was "yeah looks like you must have a leak, get it sorted, check the readings and we'll credit your account"
Not very clear billing and like I say it's difficult to spot when it might have happened if they're only reading the meter twice a year.
To my mind, there could have been a single incident in that time such as a tap being left on, not that I can recall it, or the sprinkler turning over and not being noticed for days on end and the gardener noticed it and turned it off, something like that.
AB said:
Not very clear billing and like I say it's difficult to spot when it might have happened if they're only reading the meter twice a year.
Well it's really only been read once a year. You're nudging an average of 30 cu metres per month between the two readings, so that graph is going to shoot up a bit!Does the garden take a lot of watering? Our little lawn took 30 cu metres the first month it was relaid one summer. A garden hose can do a cubic metre an hour, so if your gardener regualrly does a lot of watering and sprinking then summer use of 45 cu metres and winter 15 cu metres is probably not out of court.
You could be right, I'm going to start monitoring the meter a bit more going forwards, in fact I'm going to set up a spare indoor Ring cam in the garage as it's a battle to get to it at the best of times. I'll note down the readings and what has been happening in between those times.
Just to keep it this on topic, I'll play the sound through my TV soundbar.
Just to keep it this on topic, I'll play the sound through my TV soundbar.
AB said:
<snip>
They did say if I could prove and fix a leak and the comumption went back down then they'd credit the account with the excess since it went up.
Edit: with all that said, the meter has crept a little in those 4 hours now I can see them clearly side by side on the screen, but I'm not sure how much I'd be expecting to see in terms of change.
No point looking for a leak now as based on your latest reading your usage has already returned to previous levels of 500 litres per dayThey did say if I could prove and fix a leak and the comumption went back down then they'd credit the account with the excess since it went up.
Edit: with all that said, the meter has crept a little in those 4 hours now I can see them clearly side by side on the screen, but I'm not sure how much I'd be expecting to see in terms of change.
| Date | Reading | Litres | Days | L/Day |
| 09/02/2026 | 2639 | 66,000 | 119 | 555 |
| 13/10/2025 | 2573 | 249,000 | 189 | 1317 |
| 07/04/2025 | 2324 | 94,000 | 179 | 525 |
| 10/10/2024 | 2230 | 61,000 | 176 | 347 |
| 17/04/2024 | 2169 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
B'stard Child said:
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
As you've noted, the usage has reverted to normal. (Normal for a house with 7 bathrooms, anyway)!To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
I'd be having a word with the gardener.
Sheepshanks said:
B'stard Child said:
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
As you've noted, the usage has reverted to normal. (Normal for a house with 7 bathrooms, anyway)!To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
I'd be having a word with the gardener.
AB said:
This is more me thinking out loud but I guess I need to do a longer test, overnight when we go to bed until I wake up and before the kids start flushing toilets etc.
The meter is in a detached garage so I will also need to do the following night with the water isolated internally to see whether it is in the house or between the garage and the house, which if there was a leak would probably be the best place to have one.
I've been round the house checking bathrooms (there's 7 of them!) and the utility room etc and no signs or sounds of a leak.
A customer of mine a few years ago had a similar problem of usage suddenly increased. Anglian Water came and made a check, said nothing wrong. Then I got involved...... If I turned off the internal stopcock the 'pointer' in the external meter stopped revolving. I turned on the internal stopcock and went searching but could find no leaks. Then I realised there were no rads! Underfloor heating. I asked her where the controls were, she didn't know, but with a little searching I found the manifold in the cupboard under the stairs. Shut off inlet valve and there was no motion at meter. The meter is in a detached garage so I will also need to do the following night with the water isolated internally to see whether it is in the house or between the garage and the house, which if there was a leak would probably be the best place to have one.
I've been round the house checking bathrooms (there's 7 of them!) and the utility room etc and no signs or sounds of a leak.
A carpet fitter had nailed down the carpet, which was ok near the edge of the room, which the underfloor heating avoided, but through a pipe where the carpet edge was further from the wall where the fire hearth was positioned. Costly for someone to dig up the floor.
Sheepshanks said:
B'stard Child said:
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
As you've noted, the usage has reverted to normal. (Normal for a house with 7 bathrooms, anyway)!To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
I'd be having a word with the gardener.
Nice one fellas!
AB said:
Thank you for stating the obvious and I mean that in the nicest possible way as my brain was so addled with wondering what had gone on and why that this was the most logical thing to look at and I hadn't even considered it.
Nice one fellas!
Not a problem at all Nice one fellas!
A little maths is always useful to put quantities into perspective
As I said I had a toilet cistern letting by via the overflow to bowl. It was the only toilet in the house that was mains fed (rest were on gravity feed from loft tank so you get a clear indication when something is wrong because the tank is constantly filling) That toilet is now on gravity feed
The weird, but reassuring, thing is that it's not happening now.
I think it's likely an outside tap. If a hose uses say 25l/min then it's 100 hours or around 4 days it would need to be left on? Entirely feasible.
I'll tell the water company the leak has been fixed and see if they'll credit it? They'll see normal usage resume when they next take a reading.
I think it's likely an outside tap. If a hose uses say 25l/min then it's 100 hours or around 4 days it would need to be left on? Entirely feasible.
I'll tell the water company the leak has been fixed and see if they'll credit it? They'll see normal usage resume when they next take a reading.
B'stard Child said:
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
I live in a very hard water area and limescale occasionally becomes lodged in the pop-up flush valve at the bottom of the cistern. A stream of water is seen into the bowl but this not overflow (I've looked) so it has to be the rubber seal at the bottom exit. A flush or two usually stops it. This happens very quietly just as an overflow loss would but it starts immediately the cistern begins to refill which eliminates overflow. The old syphon cisterns never had this problem - that's progress folks!To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
motco said:
B'stard Child said:
Just to add is 550 L/Day is your base line then the usage increase was 763 Litres per day
To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
I live in a very hard water area and limescale occasionally becomes lodged in the pop-up flush valve at the bottom of the cistern. A stream of water is seen into the bowl but this not overflow (I've looked) so it has to be the rubber seal at the bottom exit. A flush or two usually stops it. This happens very quietly just as an overflow loss would but it starts immediately the cistern begins to refill which eliminates overflow. The old syphon cisterns never had this problem - that's progress folks!To qualify that level of additional usage it's 763 divided by the number of mins in a day (1440) so your excess was 0.6 Litres per min
In my experience (because I've had this issue) that's a loss typical or a toilet cistern overflow letting by into the toilet bowl - if you have modern toilets you may not even hear it
So for me first port of call would be to look at the levels in the toilet cisterns for any that "look" a little high
t!!!Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff