My water bill is too high!

[Randyj]

We moved here a year ago. City water where we moved from cost us about $20 per month...and we had two small children living with us. Now it's just me and the wife. Our water bill is twice what it was. NO LEAKS! I've checked several times. We definitely have NO LEAKS. I'm positive of that. Do not know how much water we paid for at the previous residence but last month we were charged for 5300 gallons of water. That's 177 gallons per day. Just wondering if there is a place I can look to see what the average consumption is for a two person household....we have basic living..two people working...no sprinklers, no dish washer... just basic stuff. The wife probably averages one load of clothes a day and neither of us takes long showers. One per day, per person. Heck, we hardly ever wash a vehicle! Nothing is wasted here. Wash our few dishes once a day......Anyone got a clue?

[Backglass]

Have you tried cutting off the main service cut-off valve in your home and then checking the meter over the course of several hours? There may be a leak between the meter and you. Is this a multi-unit building where you might be feeding someone else without knowing it?

[Randyj]

It's an OLD mobile home. I've taken a reading and checked it again a couple of hours later with no change. I've decided there is a possible leak on the tub mixer... so I'm replacing the mixer... then if the high water bills keep coming I'm gonna have them to pull it, check it, and get me some money back... no way we're using 177 gallons per day.

[Mr_Pike]

Replace the shower head first. Something with a low flow head.

Also check and see if there is a base charge for your water, a lot of systems have a standard minimum charge for the first gallon - 10,000 gal etc , and then charge per tier after that.

I have seen a lot of these type posts where people just don't understand how they are charged, and start looking at plumbing. Talk to your neighbors about their bill. That will tell you if you should start looking for a leak.

Yes water meters can be wrong, but it seems like you have eliminated the possibility of a leak, so I would investigate the billing first.

[jimbo]

A figure of between 125 and 200 gallons per day PER PERSON is probably the national average range. You are well under the average. Apparently, you have moved to a high cost area. What does your water cost? Around here it is about $6 per hcf, which for your 5300 gallons would be $42. There would also be a base water fee, base sewer fee, fire service assessment, etc. tacked on. Your bill would be around $60.

[Hardt]

5000 gals. a month or 167 gals/day is what my wife and I use and we pay $25 a month for it. Possibly, as Jimbo suggested, the increased amount from your previous residence is for sewer, etc. that you weren't paying for at the other place. Also, in recent years my bill has gone up considerably because of increased energy costs (it cost more to run the water pumps) that are passed on to water consumers.