Have you ever received a nasty surprise when you opened your water bill? You’re not alone! Many homeowners and tenants have been caught off guard with an excess water bill and struggled to know what caused it. If this has happened to you, read on to discover the most common high water bill questions and what you can do about it.
What Could Be Causing My Water Bill to be so High?
There are several reasons you may have received an excess water bill. You may have had a longer than usual billing period, the water rate may have increased, or you may have used more water than usual. Sometimes, a leaking pipe can be the cause. This can happen in the fixtures or in the underground pipes. A qualified plumber can help you to locate the source of the leak and repair it quickly.
How do I Know if my Water Bill is Too High?
The best way to check this is to go through your previous water bills and make a comparison. If the total amount is on average of what you have paid in the past, there is unlikely to be a problem. If it is significantly higher than usual, you may have a problem that requires fixing.
How Can I Avoid High Water Bills?
On the Gold Coast, there are four water charges: the water access charge, the water usage charge, the sewerage access charge, and non-drinking water usage charge (for some Pimpama-Coomera residents only). To avoid excess charges, turn off all taps when not in use, consider a water-efficient showerhead and appliances, take shorter showers, reuse water for the garden, wash your car at a car wash, and make sure all leaks are identified quickly and fixed.
Is a Leaking Pipe an Emergency?
If you notice a leak that is slowly dripping, this is not an immediate emergency but requires attention from a professional plumber to prevent it from becoming one. If you have a burst pipe, this is a plumbing emergency and needs to be fixed asap to avoid heavy water wastage and a massive water bill.
What to do if a Water Pipe is Leaking?
Water leaks can happen in plain view, such as a leaking bathroom tap or toilet, or be hidden underground. Hidden leaks are much harder to identify without a plumber and can cause your water bills to skyrocket. If you discover a leak, turn off the water mains, use buckets and towels to prevent further water damage, drain the water currently in the pipes, and turn off the electrical main if it’s a severe leak with flooding. Then, call a plumber to fix the problem.
Call in the Plumbing Experts
Barker Plumbing have over 30 years’ experience in fixing water leaks on the Gold Coast and can put an end to your excess water bill problem for good. Give us a call today to find out more information.