Water bill more expensive than electric in new condo

[clarky cat]

Moved into a condo at the start of the month and just been given bills for electric and water for half a month

 

The water is 300 baht and electric 250 baht

 

How is this possible over a half-month period? I only use water for washing dishes and the shower. the electric bill was direct from PEA, whilst the water bill sent to everyone in the condo line group, with no proof of meter readings

 

Last month has been paid for i'm told so has nothing to do with the previous tenants

[Halfaboy]

Ask for the readings !

[Mac Mickmanus]

Does your Condo complex have a swimming pool ?

Your water bill may be contributing to the swimming pools upkeep .

[tonray]

There sometimes is a minimum bill which gets imposed...somewhere in the fine print...if you're an owner it may be in there, but as a renter you'll only know about it thru billing.

[Surelynot]

Water 140 baht......electricity 900 baht pm.

[CharlieH]

My water is very rarely over 80 bt !

(But then I am not in a condo or shared facility.)

[Heng]

Check to see if your toilet(s) are silently running.  These types of leaks often go unnoticed.   You can use food color added to the tank (add it AFTER a flush and refill cycle ends).   There should be no color flow into the bowl after a flush cycle has "stopped."

[Opossum]

Here is the link https://en.pwa.co.th/calculate/water-tariff to check your waterbill. Because you have no waterbill based on meter-reading, you need to do some estimation. Accourding to my understand, you are using more than 25'000 liters within 15 days. This is just isane.

Insist on a bill based on a meter reading. Someone is cheating or you have a private swimming-pool in your condo.

[KannikaP]

Find out where you meter is and read it yourself every day if necessary. Same with lekky.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

condo water meter

condo electric meter
both must exist on your property under your control & name & responsibility

whether owner or renter. if renter, should be in lease.

 

common water meter

common electric meter

both must exist for single common area paid centrally by landowners

(often from owner common fund ) and recoverable proportionately at same price each month from renters under lease agreement.

 

[clarky cat]

Found the meter and have taken a photo, I’ll take another one today after 24 hours has passed

 

The gym/pool is a separate business nearby that we get free use of, so would be very surprised if it was that 

[MrJ2U]

On 6/27/2021 at 4:00 PM, tonray said:

There sometimes is a minimum bill which gets imposed...somewhere in the fine print...if you're an owner it may be in there, but as a renter you'll only know about it thru billing.

I had a similar arrangement with condo years ago.  300 baht flat rate for water.  250 baht for electric seems incredibly low. 

[Moonlover]

If I was ever in the situation in which I was concerned about utility bills such as these, I would be asking myself, vey seriously 'what the hell are you doing here'!

[impulse]

My water bill was a fixed amount, depending on how many bedrooms in the apartment.  Electricity bill was by meter.

 

It's not surprising that a fixed water bill would exceed a variable electricity bill on an apartment/condo that has been vacant before you moved in. 

 

I'd wait until a full month's bill under your usage patterns before raising the alarm.

 

[impulse]

39 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

I had a similar arrangement with condo years ago.  300 baht flat rate for water.  250 baht for electric seems incredibly low. 

 

Not if he just moved in...  The place was probably vacant.

[Thomas J]

On 6/27/2021 at 3:46 PM, clarky cat said:

How is this possible over a half-month period? I only use water for washing dishes and the shower. 

Simple answer, let the dishes stack up and don't shower every day. 

[MrJ2U]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Not if he just moved in...  The place was probably vacant.

"Moved into a condo at the start of the month and just been given bills for electric and water for half a month"

 

The water is 300 baht and electric 250 baht

 

He mentioned half a month.  250 baht for a half month is very low.

 

Its good to read the whole article before rushing to post.

 

[impulse]

37 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

"Moved into a condo at the start of the month and just been given bills for electric and water for half a month"

 

The water is 300 baht and electric 250 baht

 

He mentioned half a month.  250 baht for a half month is very low.

 

Its good to read the whole article before rushing to post.

 

 

Good catch, but something in the OP doesn't add up, and some details are missing.  Is it really a condo, or an apartment?  When did they take the meter readings?  Was it exactly 250.00 and 300.00, or are those approximations?  If he moved in on the first, why is he getting "half a month" invoice at the end of the month?  (Assuming they read the meter a few days early to include the amount on his rent invoice).

 

I still contend he needs to see a full month's invoice under his own usage patterns before raising any alarm.

[redwood1]

My electric 650-1000 a month Water about 80 baht.....

[mrwebb8825]

If you moved in on the 1st and this bill came around 2-3 days ago it is most likely only for 8-10 days and not "1/2 a month". Reading cycles and billing cycles are quite often 2-3 weeks behind the calendar month. Especially in big cities.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, Moonlover said:

If I was ever in the situation in which I was concerned about utility bills such as these, I would be asking myself, vey seriously 'what the hell are you doing here'!

No help what so ever... it's not about the money, he was asking about paying for what he uses.

[longball53098]

In his OP he said the electric bill was direct bill from PEA but the water bill was not and came from the condo offices. My guess is he is billed at the condo rate which most likely is an inflated rate compared to the PWA rate. Ask the condo office what the rate they charge is and what the condo meter reading was for that half month.

I lived in a condo that charged as much as 55 baht per unit of water. PWA rate is somewhere around 12 baht per unit.

[jomtienisgood]

45 minutes ago, longball53098 said:

In his OP he said the electric bill was direct bill from PEA but the water bill was not and came from the condo offices. My guess is he is billed at the condo rate which most likely is an inflated rate compared to the PWA rate. Ask the condo office what the rate they charge is and what the condo meter reading was for that half month.

I lived in a condo that charged as much as 55 baht per unit of water. PWA rate is somewhere around 12 baht per unit.

Perfectly correct answer.... 

[clarky cat]

10 hours ago, longball53098 said:

In his OP he said the electric bill was direct bill from PEA but the water bill was not and came from the condo offices. My guess is he is billed at the condo rate which most likely is an inflated rate compared to the PWA rate. Ask the condo office what the rate they charge is and what the condo meter reading was for that half month.

I lived in a condo that charged as much as 55 baht per unit of water. PWA rate is somewhere around 12 baht per unit.

This seems to be the case

 

Took a photo of the water meter the past 3 consecutive days and haven’t seen any movement, something is off

 

Ive asked for meter readings but been told the woman is off on holidays until tomorrow

[smutcakes]

11 hours ago, clarky cat said:

This seems to be the case

 

Took a photo of the water meter the past 3 consecutive days and haven’t seen any movement, something is off

 

Ive asked for meter readings but been told the woman is off on holidays until tomorrow

 

Presumably there is a 200 THB minimum charge.

[clarky cat]

 

On 6/29/2021 at 10:06 AM, longball53098 said:

In his OP he said the electric bill was direct bill from PEA but the water bill was not and came from the condo offices. My guess is he is billed at the condo rate which most likely is an inflated rate compared to the PWA rate. Ask the condo office what the rate they charge is and what the condo meter reading was for that half month.

I lived in a condo that charged as much as 55 baht per unit of water. PWA rate is somewhere around 12 baht per unit.

This has turned out to be correct

 

Electric is government rate, water is a condo rate of 25 baht per unit

[YT3k72Em]

21 hours ago, clarky cat said:

 

This has turned out to be correct

 

Electric is government rate, water is a condo rate of 25 baht per unit

25 baht per unit still shouldn't give you a bill of 300 baht.  I use about 5-6 units a month living alone.

The bill should state how many units you are being billed for.  If it's 12 units something is probably wrong.

 

The bill should also state the meter reading number at last month, and at this month.

[KKr]

On 6/28/2021 at 8:54 PM, Thomas J said:

Simple answer, let the dishes stack up and don't shower every day. 

alternatively, dishwash in shower in plastic bowl, saves soap and water, and rinse water down the loo.(proven method, applied during water shortages on small island, carrying buckets uphill makes for creativity.)

Seen it, Done it, Off. 

[MrJ2U]

Its usually a flat 300 baht for the month.  You can request them to prorate it but if they don't I wouldn't make a fuss.

 

250 baht for electric.  Are you using candles for light?

[scubascuba3]

At my condo it has a standing charge of 100 baht a month which is meant to cover repair or replacement of meter plus 40 baht a unit, should be less but it doesn't add up to much