Are you wondering what your water bill is and how to understand it correctly? Don't worry! We offer you all the detailed information.
water bill
In any part of the world we will find the invoices corresponding to basic services such as electricity, common expenses and water. In different countries, these services can carry out billing periods on a quarterly basis, while others do so on a monthly basis.
It's important to note that your water bill will reflect your water consumption, so it's advisable to keep your pipes in good condition to prevent leaks and the misuse of this natural resource. These service measurements are generally taken during business days and hours. Please be aware that these individuals will be clearly identified with their company name and ID, and we have the right to request identification from each of them.
If at the time of taking the measurement to execute the water bill, we are away from home, we can find in our mailboxes a request where we will be asked for a prompt response to the following questions:
- Name of the person living at the residence
- Date where we will meet within the residence to get the water bill measured.
- Maximum term where the reading can be executed, in general it is less than five days after leaving the notification.
- The identification data to generate the water bill meter.
- We must also inform the graph of the sphere or the meter that allows us to read the meter.
- Different means of communication through which they can send us the meter reading of the water supply company.
- Finally, the company that supplies us and is in charge of this elementary service can leave us a notification informing us that if they do not receive the requested information, our water bill may arrive based on estimates and not based on actual consumption.
Determine service consumption
The service company to determine the consumption and be able to execute the water bill. If the company does not have access to the water meters, it can use two ways to manage the readings.
The first will focus on using the average of the two consecutive billing periods, in order to be extremely precise when executing the consumption made by us.
On the other hand, the company can base the water bill, if there is a breakdown or absence of us at home in the following way:
- The company may carry out the analysis of the consumption that was carried out during the same time and at the same time of the immediately previous year or the average that has been established in a period of consumption not exceeding three years.
- If for reasons beyond the control of the company the consumption mentioned above cannot be established, the companies can make the water bill based on the average made in the previous twelve months. Both cases will include the data even if there is a fault in the connections, tubes or meter.
- If the data is not available, the water bill can be received based on historical consumption or the equivalent of the nominal capacity of the meter for fifteen hours of monthly use.
Therefore, we always recommend trying to maintain direct contact with our utility company to prevent our water bill from reaching amounts that are far from our consumption.
Parts of the water bill
When we receive the water bill we will find different concepts and forms which will help us understand how they were made to determine the amount that we must pay. Among the concepts that we can find we have a fixed service fee, which represents the normal fee payable for water consumption, variable or consumption fee, connection rights, contracting expenses, specific services, special surcharges and bonds. The latter will correspond to totally variable and consumable expenses, each of these concepts stipulated in what is known as the water bill, we get the normal rate system of the company that provides us with the water service.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the consumption to be invoiced will be those due and no approximations will be taken into account. In the same way, we remind you that these services do not exceed three months of consumption in order to generate for consumers the ease of paying a comfortable contract and not for such high amounts. Also, it is important to note that efficient consumption will allow us to make payments comfortably and not so high, remember that economic planning allows us to cover different levels of debts and services.
To understand a little better the parts of the water bill we leave you this video that specifies each of the parts described below
When the water bill arrives at our homes, we must carefully study the following characteristics:
- Adress: This is one of the things that we must take into account when receiving the water bill, in order to know that this bill actually belongs to our home and not to the other.
- Notification address: If at the time of contracting the service we give another address where to deliver the water bill, we must also verify it.
- Applied rate: At this point we will carefully study the rates that have been applied to us, which will determine the amount that we must pay.
- Counter caliber: Let's verify very carefully that the meter number that appears on the water bill belongs to our metering system.
- Types of consumption: If the company was able to measure the water in a normal way, the type of consumption that should reflect the water bill is the real one, if the estimate appears, we must contact our service company.
- Official bulletin: Generally, the official bulletin that determines the rate that is being applied to us is reflected in the water bill.
- Different consumptions: In the water bill we must find the different concepts that are being specified to us, we cannot find a global concept, because each one of them has a different percentage or rate.
- Total services: In each of the items or concepts we must find the total of each of them.
- Location: Just as we find our address data, on the water bill we must be able to obtain the address and contact telephone numbers of the companies that provide us with the services.
- Payment: In the water bill we must be able to obtain the payment methods available to the company as well as the expiration date.
- Rate system: it is extremely important to know the breakdown of each of the concepts that feed our invoice.
It's important to correctly read your water bill because it allows you to clearly understand your water consumption, whether it's for personal or company use. If it's for personal use, it indicates whether you're wasting this essential resource within your community. If it's a utility bill, understanding it is crucial for including it in your cost accounting. If you'd like to learn more about this topic, please visit the following link: Importance of Cost Accounting
rate system
It is important with respect to the last point that we find or identify within the water bill is that this, tariff system, is defined as the set of concepts that determine the price or the tariff that the person who has the consumption must pay.
As we have previously determined, in the water bill we will find different concepts that feed it. These concepts are:
- Fixed fee: This concept determines the fixed or determined amount that the person who has the consumption must cancel, regardless of whether or not they use the service.
- Variable fee: It refers to the amount of money that the consumer must pay based on the actual amount consumed within a period of time. In order to know the variable quota, constant specifications are used, of increasing or decreasing blocks.
- Special surcharges: are those expenses that will be applied to a specific population to people for reasons other than the normal supply of water service
- Right of connection: These are the compensations that we receive from the companies that provide the service, thanks to the results that are achieved through expenses, expansions or modifications that are made to the water network systems.
After reading this information, we understand the importance of knowing how to read a water bill correctly, since through this good reading, we can find out in more detail the consumption that we are making of this natural resource.
On the other hand, we must recognize that the counting systems with which the companies that supply this service carry out the operations are vital to ensure that the consumption billed to us is adequate and correct. That is why we must keep each of the service reading systems updated, as well as the pipes and water outlets to avoid waste and additional payment for water.
The consequences of not paying this bill can range from written sanctions, to fines or suspension of service. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your accounts up to date and at all times and avoid government or sector sanctions.
