My Water Bill

[JusMe]

As I did with my electricity bill earlier, the attached document is a scan of my water bill. I'm new to the bill paying process, and like to know just what I'm doing.

I think I've managed to erase personal information, like my address, but if there's something identifying me there, please let me know and I'll revise it. I've attached it as a pdf file, but could make it jpeg, if that helps.

Anyone care to let me know what each of the printed bits mean? I think I used 10 units of water during the billing period, but there seem to be several dates on it, and different charges for unknown things.

Enlightenment, oh wise translator?

Water.pdf

[trogers]

Bill says the following:

Amount of water used - 4,000 litres

Amount charged - Bt200

Service charge - Bt30

VAT - Bt16.10

Total - Bt246.10

[JusMe]

Thanks, trogers. All makes sense. That 10 is the rate the water is being charged? Some internal coding?

I assume the date near the top, with the time is when the meter was read: 12:47 on December 2nd. (I think I saw the reader going about on his motorbike.)

And T3(12/52) means this bill is for December.

What about the bottom three dates - 3rd, 9th, and 16th of December?

You help much appreciated. I like to keep records and comparisons of my usages. Some people have psycho terminology for it (reference to a compulsion with a rear orifice) :-)

I actually have monthly records of electricity (kwh & cost), heating (gjoules & cost), and water (cubic meters & cost) for my house in Canada, going back twelve years! Interesting sometimes to see changes not only in usage, but varying costs over the seasons and years.

[Gary A]

Bill says the following:

Amount of water used - 4,000 litres

Amount charged - Bt200

Service charge - Bt30

VAT - Bt16.10

Total - Bt246.10

Can that be right? Our village charges 3 baht per cubic meter. If that is correct, that water is costing 61.525 baht per cubic meter. Quite expensive!

[hhgz]

" That 10 is the rate the water is being charged? "

Huh? Simple math would indicate that your basic water cost per unit (1,000 liters - a cubic meter) is: 200/4 = 50THB/unit.

[johng]

There's a flat rate charge of 200 baht for usage upto about 13,000 liters (or some where around that amount)

[trogers]

Thanks, trogers. All makes sense. That 10 is the rate the water is being charged? Some internal coding?

I assume the date near the top, with the time is when the meter was read: 12:47 on December 2nd. (I think I saw the reader going about on his motorbike.)

And T3(12/52) means this bill is for December.

What about the bottom three dates - 3rd, 9th, and 16th of December?

You help much appreciated. I like to keep records and comparisons of my usages. Some people have psycho terminology for it (reference to a compulsion with a rear orifice) :-)

I actually have monthly records of electricity (kwh & cost), heating (gjoules & cost), and water (cubic meters & cost) for my house in Canada, going back twelve years! Interesting sometimes to see changes not only in usage, but varying costs over the seasons and years.

The 10 is the meter reading - 10 units.

3rd-9th Dec is the time to make payment on this water bill.

If no payment made before 16th Dec, water supply will be cut.

T3(12/52) should mean T3 type of account, month/year.

I take this as a commercial account as the bill is addressed to a company.

[johng]

There's a flat rate charge of 200 baht for usage upto about 13,000 liters (or some where around that amount)

[JusMe]

Whoa!

trogers said: "I take this as a commercial account as the bill is addressed to a company."

Nope, it's my house here in the compound. I am definitely going to have to check this out. Part of the problem is that many of the people here have their bills taken care of by a real estate company, but I want to care for my own. After all, maybe they're here for only a few months a year, but I'm here long time/term.

When I head into the water company to pay it - and I see I've gotta do that soon - I'll check that out.

I'm also organizing automatic debit/payment from my bank for all my utilities. That way I avoid the company care and their additional percentage for that care.

[trogers]

The name of the company is "Resident Care Co., Ltd"

[pjclark1]

I don't see the previous and current meter readings on that bill!

Without knowing the previous meter reading you can't see if you are being ripped off.

Water bills are a common ripoff .... they tried that game with me once.

I pay 5bht a cubic meter and a house with 2 people in it uses about 5/6 cubic meters a month. So my bill is in the region of 30bht a month.

50bht a cubic metre is a horrendously high price.

[JusMe]

It's the first bill I've received and could be covering more than two months, so that could explain some of the fact that there's nothing about previous meter readings on the bill. I can't read any of it, so ....

I'll do what I can today to try to follow up. All I've got to do now is try to find the office of the water company :-)

[longball53098]

Go out and look at the meter if you need to know the reading today. The 10 is the reading on the minute they took the reading and printed this invoice. The water invoice never shows the previous months ending reading, don't know why but my invoice is the same.

I think the key here is the T3 account status. If you have a residential meter I would think it should be a T1 account and the charges are more like 12 baht/cubic meter.

My invoice for 130 units is about 16.12 per unit plus tax and service charge

The dates at the bottom of the invoice are the dates you can pay using the bar code at Pay Points and the bottom date is the drop dead date the bill must be paid or water is cut off.

[Tanaka]

Go out and look at the meter if you need to know the reading today. The 10 is the reading on the minute they took the reading and printed this invoice. The water invoice never shows the previous months ending reading, don't know why but my invoice is the same.

I think the key here is the T3 account status. If you have a residential meter I would think it should be a T1 account and the charges are more like 12 baht/cubic meter.

My invoice for 130 units is about 16.12 per unit plus tax and service charge

The dates at the bottom of the invoice are the dates you can pay using the bar code at Pay Points and the bottom date is the drop dead date the bill must be paid or water is cut off.

Longball is correct. You need to contact the water company. I live in a house and we also have T1 and the cost is 10,2 bht m3 plus service 30bht and tax 7%. BUT if we do not exceed 300 bht/month, we do not pay anything.

[JusMe]

I've paid this bill (Tesco) and will head into the office next week. I've got directions, but it's not close - got to make a trip into Rayong.

I'll take all the paperwork I've got, and see about getting them to change the name on the bill as well as set up a direct debit with my bank.

I rather figure, my house, my bill, my name! And if it saves me some baht, all the better.

[Spoonman]

Im T3 as well (what ever that is).

My bill is,

Amount of water used - 15,000 litres

Amount charged - Bt202.50

Service charge - Bt30.00

VAT - Bt16.28

Total - Bt248.78

[trogers]

I've paid this bill (Tesco) and will head into the office next week. I've got directions, but it's not close - got to make a trip into Rayong.

I'll take all the paperwork I've got, and see about getting them to change the name on the bill as well as set up a direct debit with my bank.

I rather figure, my house, my bill, my name! And if it saves me some baht, all the better.

You will need to bring prove of house ownership and your passport, to effect a name change. You may also be required to pay a few thousand baht for a new meter. If you want to save this money, you need to get the company to sign a transfer form.

[JusMe]

Thanks, trogers.

I was planning on carrying lots of paperwork, including house ownership and land lease and passport, and even my driver's licence (as much paper as I've got - I've spent time in LOS).

Not sure if I want to pay a few thousand baht for a new meter, though. Why replace the one that's working fine in front of the house now? Just change the name on the account!

Might have to get the company to sign a transfer form to shift it from their name to mine. I assume they've got many meters here in the housing estate that use their name rather than the owners' names.

At least there's no great rush, and if I end up paying a bit in the meantime, it is a small amount. I compare it to my utility bills back "home" and laugh!