Average water unit usage for 2 people in a condo?

[StevieDee]

Hi all,

 

I would like to ask what an average month's water unit usage should be for 2 people sharing a condo.

 

This is not about the unit cost, but the unit usage in a month.

 

Our daily/weekly usage is not really any different to most other couples. Toilet flushed 6-8 times a day, 1 shower each a day, 2-3 laundry cycles a week, washing up etc. There is no other demands that we use our tapped water for.

 

I appreciate there are variables that will affect the 'exact' usage but I would just like to know what other couple's 'average' usage is or should be.

 

Reason being, ours is at approximately 50 units a month, which is an average of 1,666 liters a day, which I find hard to believe we use.

 

I have access to the meter and I am not being billed incorrectly.

 

The meter does not move at all when no water is being supplied to the condo.

 

Is it possible for a meter to run an incorrect usage?

 

If so, how do you go about getting it checked?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Pdaz]

Almost none at all if they are from Scotland..No soap usage either.. 

[jackdd]

If you look at this data:

http://data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=757

Then obviously something is wrong with your 1666 liters per day

Did you try turning off all water and look at the water meter?

[StevieDee]

Hi jackdd,

 

Yes indeed we have. We had the maintenance guy come and this is what he checked for.

 

All taps were off, no cisterns filling up, no laundry running & the meter did not move at all.

 

It has also been checked just before we go to bed & then again 1st thing in the morning when there has been no usage & same again, no movement at all on the meter.

 

This is why I am questioning the accuracy of the meter when it's working.

 

Any idea how or who can check it ?

 

Thanks for the reply

[jackdd]

You could fill a let's say 1 liter bottle of water and measure how long this takes, let's say 10 seconds. Now you let the water running at this speed for let's say 1000 seconds, then the water meter should show a usage of about 100 liter.

Of course this method is not the most accurate one, but it's simple and if it's totally off you should be able to see it. (If you take something bigger than 1 liter bottle for calibration and let it run longer it gets obviously more accurate)

[StevieDee]

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You could fill a let's say 1 liter bottle of water and measure how long this takes, let's say 10 seconds. Now you let the water running at this speed for let's say 1000 seconds, then the water meter should show a usage of about 100 liter.

Of course this method is not the most accurate one, but it's simple and if it's totally off you should be able to see it. (If you take something bigger than 1 liter bottle for calibration and let it run longer it gets obviously more accurate)

Thanks jackdd,

 

To check it myself did cross my mind but your suggestion is far better than what I was thinking of.

 

I have a few empty 6 liter bottles so to time a 12 liter test fill, then leave the tap running at the same speed for a long multiple of that would give me a fair idea if the meter is about right or not.

 

Will keep you posted

 

Thanks again

[lopburi3]

Obviously there is something very wrong - are you making love in the showers and losing track of time? 

I have a 5 bath home with 8 or 9 people who normally take 2 showers a day and several loads of laundry and dishwasher every day - and watering of plants when not raining - and use about 50 units a month.  

 

 

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, StevieDee said:

Reason being, ours is at approximately 50 units a month, which is an average of 1,666 liters a day, which I find hard to believe we use.

 

I live alone and use around 2 units a month for toilet, shower, washing machine etc. Logically two people could use double that, or around 4 units. Add one unit for a Thai person who leaves taps running and that makes 5.

 

I suspect that somehow your meter is being read incorrectly and your 50 is really 5. Is the last digit the tenths?

[shady86]

I live with my wife and little baby and uses about 10 to 12 units monthly. Our bill is about 250b monthly.

[CaptHaddock]

My wife and I use about 15 units per month on average.

[RichardColeman]

I have a wife that never leaves the bathroom and a fixation with washing everything, a baby that seems to turn nappies to brown mush and needs constant hosing down, and little old me that showers twice a day - we get through just over 200 baht a month. If I lived in the UK I think I would be poverty ridden 

[tpkhk]

We use ~6 units / month....billed by the building at 20THB / unit....so approximately THB 120.  

OP - By the same measure you must be paying THB 1000/month.

 

I have a separate meter charge of 50 baht/month....but that may be specific to my building.

[irwinfc]

agree with KittenKong. i also live alone and use no more than 2 units per month. also, my washing machine is the top load type which uses a lot of water. looks like there's something wrong with the reading or your water line.

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, tpkhk said:

We use ~6 units / month....billed by the building at 20THB / unit....so approximately THB 120.  

OP - By the same measure you must be paying THB 1000/month.

 

I have a separate meter charge of 50 baht/month....but that may be specific to my building.

In Bangkok we pay about 10 baht per unit to MWA so bills for 50 units is a little over 500 baht with tax/fees.

[RBOP]

3 of us use ~50 units per month.

[lopburi3]

Just now, RBOP said:

3 of us use ~50 units per month.

That is a lot of water for 3 people - do you have a pool or something?

[Henryford]

When i had a live in tgf we used 10-12 units a month. 50 sounds crazy. As a single person i now only use 5.

[mike324]

Or ask them to take a daily reading with you. Perhaps the office lady note down the wrong meter and switch the readings by accident. It happens more often that it should.  

[StevieDee]

17 minutes ago, mike324 said:

Or ask them to take a daily reading with you. Perhaps the office lady note down the wrong meter and switch the readings by accident. It happens more often that it should.  

Hi mike324

 

I have access to the meter as it's in an unlocked cupboard outside my door.

 

It now appears the meter runs without water being used.

 

Last night I closed off the individual supply to all taps & cisterns, took a reading & went to bed.

 

This morning after 7 hours of no use whatsoever while we were sleeping the meter had moved by 0000.110, just over 1/10th of a unit = 110 liters.

 

110 liters gone in 7 hours without any usage.

 

Am on their case as we speak to sort it

 

Thanks for the reply

 

 

[StevieDee]

15 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I live alone and use around 2 units a month for toilet, shower, washing machine etc. Logically two people could use double that, or around 4 units. Add one unit for a Thai person who leaves taps running and that makes 5.

 

I suspect that somehow your meter is being read incorrectly and your 50 is really 5. Is the last digit the tenths?

Unfortunately the meter is being read correctly as I have access to it to check

 

Just established it's registering usage when no water being used.

 

Where it's going no one yet knows

[lopburi3]

Suspect you may have a leaking toilet.  If you can not see overflow (with tank cover off) can you shut off supply (some homes have shut off valve behind toilet).

[StevieDee]

Just now, lopburi3 said:

Suspect you may have a leaking toilet.  If you can not see overflow (with tank cover off) can you shut off supply (some homes have shut off valve behind toilet).

I isolated the possibility of any leaking toilets & taps last night before going to bed by turning of all of their individual supplies.

 

Cisterns x 2, toilet water hose x 2, sinks x 3, washing machine x 1

 

I then took a reading and retired to bed.

 

This morning after 7 hours of no usage the meter had registered usage of 0.11 of a unit, 110 liters gone somewhere, but not used by us.

 

Currently being looked in to by condo maintenance

 

 

[charly58]

Get the meter changed!!

Sent from my SM-T715Y using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Ulic]

You have a meter malfunctioning for some reason. I shower 4 times a day, flush

8-10 times a day and wash dishes etc.... (no laundry) and I use 3 units a month.

[ToddinChonburi]

Read your meter and look at  what reading they are getting.  They tend to round up .  Make sure number match.  

[blackcab]

As stated, get the meter changed. If it's a condo owned meter then its easy and cheap for them to do.

 

There is no point paying to investigate further when meters are so cheap to buy.

[seancbk]

16 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I live alone and use around 2 units a month for toilet, shower, washing machine etc. Logically two people could use double that, or around 4 units. Add one unit for a Thai person who leaves taps running and that makes 5.

 

I suspect that somehow your meter is being read incorrectly and your 50 is really 5. Is the last digit the tenths?

 

Same same.

I live alone, and with toilet use, shower use and a bit of washing of dishes I use 2 units a month (36 baht)

 

 

[steve73]

2 people, showers, W/C flushing, washing dishes (but no laundry), and watering a load of potted plants we use 11-15 m3 per month, so perhaps a little higher than others have commented. 

 

OP - If you see a "usage" of 0.11 in 7 hours with everything off, this would only add around 11 m3 in a month so your usage still seems a little high.

 

Please feedback your findings once you have a new meter.  TIA.

[pearciderman]

17 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I live alone and use around 2 units a month for toilet, shower, washing machine etc. Logically two people could use double that, or around 4 units. Add one unit for a Thai person who leaves taps running and that makes 5.

 

I suspect that somehow your meter is being read incorrectly and your 50 is really 5. Is the last digit the tenths?

 

This is the answer, your meter is being read incorrectly.

[realenglish1]

My monthly water bill runs about 150 baht with 2 people and I run water all the time when I do the dishes