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Cost of water....


mafoo
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Hi All :)

I know this may seem like a really daft question but about how much does a cubic metre of water cost in France. I undestand it probably varies depending on dept and area. I have just moved out here and haven't had a water bill yet (so unsure how much water actually costs) but have purchased a hot tub and curious to know what I should expect. I've been living in Edinburgh, so we don't have a metre, so have no idea what my usage is.

If anyone could give me a rough guide for France it would be great :)

Thanks in advance,

Matt

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Hi Mafoo,

 

Don't have my cheque book at home with me so can't give exact details but I know that when we had our pool installed and filled I didn't think it to be expensive.  We are not there all the time (unfortunately) but don't know what the charge is per c.m.  Sorry I can't be of more help (I'm in Lanarkshire and don't have a meter either)  but I know all our Frenchie friends will assist,

 

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Matt ...........

SFA.  Just got my half year's bill a day or two ago, so pretty current.  €104, made up as 115 cu m's @ €0.61 / m3 + standing charge of €20 + odds and sods.

A third of that usage is related to when I dump two thirds of the pool contents in the Spring when I re-activate it.  Thus my next bill will be around €80, but the costs are bound to vary from commune to commune. Ours is cheap (I think!)

Remember, this is for water supply only.  Unlike most of the UK, there's no 'sewage element' to the charge.

 

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Thanks heaps for the quick replies. Much appreciated.

I've heard that water where I am (Seytroux dept 74) is reasonably cheap. So hopefully it is. No idea what expensive is though *laughs*. I was panicking a wee bit there.

Does sewerage get charged seperately?

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Our total water consumption for a residence secondaire with pool (about 2 months' constant occupation over summer and probably another 2 months throughout the year) was 74 cubic metres, including dumping and refilling a proportion of the pool contents once a year, and the occasional pool top-up over the Summer. Our water is obviously a bit more expensive, as the bill was €105, but the cost of the water was only about half the bill and the rest was charges, so it would seem our standing charges are higher. Again,got the bill last week, so it's current info.
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Just looked up last years bill. We used 189 cubic metres and our charges were made up of 15euros a month for 10 months direct debit and an end of year settlement of 250 euros - total 400 euros. That includes emptying a half our pool and refilling it but we were only here for 6 months out of the 12. Will be inerested to see what this year's bill is - due in January.
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[:'(]Water charges !!  Really expensive, small pool refilled last year twice (plastic 9ft diam) we paid over E500 last year for water. Yikes. We don't have lots of baths mainly showers so I thought this was horrendously dear but really it was the same as England.

Georgina

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I'm sorry, my mistake -

I thought that when you said "Really expensive, small pool refilled last year twice (plastic 9ft diam) we paid over E500 last year for water" that you were inferring that there was a connection between filling your pool twice and your yearly water bill of over 500€.

Water in France isn't that expensive - unless you use a lot :)

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Hi

I would get your pipes checked out if I were you.   With a large 4 bed house, 3 bed gite and large pool to maintian our bill was never anywhere near 500 euro, you should turn everything off and see if the meter still turns, you could well have a leak somewhere.

Panda

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Water isn't that expensive, but you seem to have used (or are being charged for!) getting on for 500 cubic metres which I think is easily four times average...

First thing: have you checked the meter readings as the bill may be estimated.

Second:  Meter again:  watch the counter for a minute or two - if no-one is running water in the house/garden and the counter is moving then you have a leak.

EDIT

Damn beaten by a small furry B&W thing...[;-)]

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Yeah I thought about that but it's down a ruddy great hole and hard to see as it retains moisture in the face. I don't know what else to do really. You are right though, I need to sort it out.  Is there any chance that someone else could plug into it, I know that a neighbour has been fiddling with his pipes (so to speak).  It's not unheard of for someone else to tap in (excuse the pun).

 

Georgina

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I am not sure if it is true, but my neighbour once told me that water charges vary enormously per cubic metre from department to department.   When he moved from dordogne to haute he said that the water charges were much less here (and so they should be with the amount of rain we get !).
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[quote user="oakbri"]

I live in Dept 60 and the price of water is horrendous. 900 Euros last year, and we don't have a pool or any leaks !!

And we get 360 days rain per year, enough to supply the whole of France.

[/quote]

sheez, I thought Georgina's 500 was huge.  How much per cubic metre are you paying and where are you?  It sounds a ridiculous sum.

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Hello Panda

Just looking through my old bills. I get a bill at the end of June and one at the end of December each year. For the past 5 years I have been billed for an average of 305 metre cubed each time, so 610 meteres per year. The bill is quite long winded so not sure where to find the exact price per metre, but I have paid around 900 to 1000 euros per year since I have been here. And the worst thing is the water is absolute sewage. Unfiltered you cannot even see through it. I paid 3000 Euros for a filter from Culligan so its much better but I am surprised they can charge so much for such poor quality water. Whilst growing up in the UK we never needed a filter and paid virtually nothing for the water, not sure what it is like now though.

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It's all very well to say that water is expensive... 500€ or whatever, but the important thing surely is the amount consumed. 500€ may not be expensive (relatively) you've had tap running all summer [:)]

Water bills normally show the price the per cubic metre, well at least ours does, although ours varies quite widely between the 2 invoices we receive each year, from around 50 cents to 1.40€ !!

The best thing to do is read the meter yourself. It can't be that difficult if the man (or woman) from the water company manages it.

Slightly off topic but with regard to filling a swimming pool it's also advisable to check that there are no restrictions in force; for Poitou-Charente for example, this website shows any current restrictions.

http://info.eau-poitou-charentes.org/

At certain times it is forbidden to fill swimming pools (or wash cars etc etc). Thereby saving you money [:)]

Sid

 

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