Are you someone who is deeply concerned about their water supply? Do you wish to know how you, without help from anyone, could understand your water bill?
Moving into a new home in itself is already stressful, and on top of that, deciding which water supply to choose is even harder, which can put you under a great deal of stress.
However, you have absolutely nothing to worry about in this article; we will talk all about how you could get an insight into your water bill so that you do not have to worry about the bill being too high… So without further a, let’s dive right into it.
Usage
One thing that many people out there do not know is that utility unit depends upon many factors such as which water company you are using, your location, the amount of water, the demand or supply, and much more.
It is important to keep in mind that every water supply company out there charge water bill differently depending on the services they offer. The most common units are CCF which means centum cubic feet, and the gallon. A CCF, which sometimes can also be referred to as HCF, actually represents hundred cubic feet of water used.
However, many people are not familiar with this unit; hence they rely on a gallon which is one CCF equals 748 gallons. Although the amount of water you use depends on the number of people living in the house, the number of washrooms, house size, and location, an average human being uses around 88 gallons per day.
Another factor worth considering is the weather changes, as people who live in drier climates tend to use more water than those who live in rainy areas.
Trends in water unit
Now you might be asking yourself the question; Is there a trend between the amount of water I use and the water unit that I am being charged with? And well the answer to that is yes. There is a direct linkage between the number of gallons of water you and your household members use in the unit. You get charged.
One thing worth mentioning that many people fail to realize is that unit trends of water can fluctuate depending on the time of year. Generally speaking though, in summer time the water bill rate is usually high as more water is consumed and so the water unit trend increases to a significant level.
The reasons for its rise can be explained by factors such as the labor required to convert polluted water with fresh water, building more water pumps to supply water to different neighborhoods, etc.
Comparing your usage with others
A lot of people have wondered whether or not their usage of water and the bill they receive is similar to those of their neighbors. In many countries around the world, the utility bill comes with a section showing you how your water bill compares to those around your neighbor so that you can compare and make a fair judgment.
Not just that; but some utility also compares your utility bills to another random group of neighbors so that you can see the pattern of bills.
You must keep in mind that if you feel as though your bill is too high compared to other people’s bills, then what you could do is sort out the calculation on your own with the help of the utility rate that is mentioned on the top of the paper.
Moreover, water supplier companies also have a step-to-step guide on how they have calculated your water bill for the month. Although, at first, you may find it difficult and strenuous to try to understanding your water bill, once you get a hold of it, it will get easier.
How are you being charged?
Some people, despite checking their water bills still have some questions about what method water supplier companies are using to sort out their final water bill.
It is worth mentioning that the water you are being charged with is distributed in a mixture of combined factors such as water storage tanks, underground pipes that deliver water to your house, treatment plans as well as the workers who provide you with water services day and night.
There are many different types of rates that are used to calculate your water supply. A flat fee is a rate that is used to charge all customers regardless of the amount of water they have used. Flat fees are perhaps one of the simplest ways of rate structure that aims to bring equality to everyone who uses the water.
However, it should be pointed out that they generally do not provide revenue sufficient enough to operate the utility. The next type of rate is the uniform rate which is a structure that has a constant per unit price for all meter units used per year.
Many individuals out there do not know this but sometimes utilities charge varying user groups, such as charging residential owners a different rate compared to industrial owners.
Rising and falling block rates
One important factor that must be mentioned for those who are willing to learn more about how their water supply is being charged is block rates. An increasing block rate is a structure built where the unit price of each succeeding block of usage is charged higher than the previous block.
This is usually implemented in areas where there is a short water supply and high demand, such as urban areas. Increasing the block rates gives an individual control over the amount of water they use on a daily basis.
On the other hand, a fall in block rates or more commonly known as declining block rates is the opposite of increasing block rates. In this case, the unit price of each succeeding block of usage is relatively charged less than the previous block.
This system is most commonly practiced in those areas where there is low population influx and thus loss of water demand.
However, it could also be applied in those areas where there is excessive water which can be used for secondary purposes such as farming, industrial purposes like Pharmaceuticals Company, laboratories, and much more.
Some other rates that you should consider looking into are drought rates, seasonal rates, water budget-based rates, etc.
The takeaway
So that is all folks when it comes to know about how you could understand your water utility bill. However, it may seem like a difficult task, but with proper knowledge and understanding, you can easily review and compare water utility bills.
