Excessive water bills from PWA

[248035_1469958174]

i have to 2 taps for 2 different properties. 

 

For 2 months there were no bills presented to me . They went missing or werent issued/delivered or someone else picked them up in error.

 

i went to get my post from my po box .and i found a reminder written in thai  addressed to my house but not delivered . so i took it into the water company and asked for explanation. and they said the figure on the reminder is wrong . 

the bill is not 3000 baht it is actually now 12,000.

 

the other bill is 18,000 baht

 

Anyone else get these kind of bills?

 

What is it for - disconnecting my meter? and reconnecting?

 

There is no complaints procedure?  my thai accountant says go to the police 

 

my usual bill was 450 baht per month. i don't have a leak because i close the tap when i'm not using it  and only open the tap to fill water tanks.

 

so to go from 450 to 3000 to 12000  in 3 months - the final demand was the only bill they actually delivered properly and obtained a signature for.

 

This is the second time that this it has happened - although last time i managed to get the missing bills paid at around 4000 baht level.Still way above my normal bill but lot less than these current ones.

Any ideas people?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[topt]

If this has happened to you before why did you not go straight to the water authority and query it as soon as you did not get the first bill?

My understanding is I would be disconnected within a short space of time if I did not pay my monthly bill on time.

 

Have the water company not explained what the amounts are for - presumably it is not just showing as units used to make those amounts?

Surely your Thai accountant can explain them to you................

[Crossy]

How do you receive your bills, ours are placed in our post box by the meter reader, automatically generated by his handheld.

 

I would;-

• Find the last bill you received and record the meter reading on the bill.
• Go and read your water meter (take a photo of it too).
• Calculate how much water you've used in the intervening period.
• Go to the PWA office armed with a Thai speaker and the evidence.
• Pay what you owe.

If you suspect your meter is over-reading PWA will check it for you (for a fee of course), if found in error they ought to refund the over-payment.

 

[NextStationBangkok]

Check how many units(In cubic meters ) you have consumed. Even 450 is very high for home usage until you have a small rice field to irrigate.

 

I am paying 90-120 Baht per month for home staying alone, families with 2-3 members paying less than 200 baht a month.

[Tchooptip]

I suddenly realise I am lucky my owner has a huge well for her four houses, she asked me 2000 ฿ per year ?

Watering the garden every days and sometimes washing the car and 2 motorbikes too, so for 166฿ a month.

[DGS1244]

They, the PWA, threatened to cut me off when I was seven days late paying a bill, cost me an extra 400 baht to prevent them disconnecting. Once I did have a bill for over 1,000 Baht which they came and pointed out to me that there might be a problem. When checking a leak was discovered in a pipe that could not normally be seen, a quick repair and no more large bills.

[Pungdo]

My monthly water bills got up around 1,000 baht, got sick of it and changed the meter, didn't change, so I replaced the pipes and disconnected the tank, they've been around 400 ever since, I I would suggest an underground leak in the pipes.

 

[phantomfiddler]

Check the rubber diaphragms in your toilet cisterns. My usual monthly bill was around 300Bht and slowly climbed to several thousand baht over the course of a year. As soon as I replaced the valve inlets with the good American ones my bills immediately reverted to a few hundred baht. The cheap rubber diaphragms get eroded and water is flowing undetected 24 hrs per day.

[jeab1980]

280 to 290 every month only varies between the 10bht. I dont bother complaining for instance this month the water has been off for 12 days now. Its happened before we are well used to it but the bill will still be 280 to 290 guaranteed. Last month we was feeding another house as well as ours  our choice they needed help and we obliged bill 283bht. Swings and roundabouts.

[Lamkyong]

3 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Check the rubber diaphragms in your toilet cisterns. My usual monthly bill was around 300Bht and slowly climbed to several thousand baht over the course of a year. As soon as I replaced the valve inlets with the good American ones my bills immediately reverted to a few hundred baht. The cheap rubber diaphragms get eroded and water is flowing undetected 24 hrs per day.

 good American ones =made in china 

[Jorgendk]

Try to turn every thing off, so you are using no water, and then have a look at the meter. If the meter is still running, you know som thing is wrong.

[Trollmann]

I normally get about 100 baht every month for many years. One month a few months ago it was 1000 baht. In this period the water supply was absent almost every night. I discussed with PWA and they said it happens to many customers. They said that some customers did get unusual bills for over 10 000 baht for one month. They suggested they check the meter and i must pay 2500 baht if they dont find any fault. The meter is pretty new (Asahi), it have been spinning for not more than 2 years. I did go to Global House and bought a new meter (Duss) for 299 baht and i fitted it to the shower in the bathroom (use at same time as pwa meter outside of house). I then found out the meter from PWA showing 30% more water use than the meter from global house (The Duss meter is almost perfect accurate). It still did not explain why my use made the pwa meter spin 8-10 times more than usual one singe month. I then read on the internet that water meters also will spin if there is air in the pipe. I tested the theory with my global house water meter and it was spinning 5 liter at one blow of breath. So i am thinking that when i flushed the toilet i the night when there was no water supply from pwa, it makes the water pipe not closed (tank waiting to be filled) and later when the water supply from pwa came back it is possible it blow 45 000 liter of air trough my pwa water meter making the water meter spin wild. So, it is not the meter that is faulty and paying 2500 baht for the PWA to test my meter will result no failure and i have to pay extra 2500 baht. For the missing bills i suggest you download the pwa application and register using your water bill ther. Then you can log in every month and get the bill from there and barcode for payment. This barcode can you use to pay the bill with smartphone app true money wallet (only thai id can register) or airpay. I also recomend using true money wallet for paying electricity. After your first payment of electricity the electricity bill will come up in True wallet automaticaly every month. I am able to pay both my water bill and electricity when i am abroad for long time and dont have to depend on anyone for paying my bills.

 

Duss water meter https://www.twsplus.com/มาตรวัดน้ำ-duss-ใบรับรองmp480012-ผ่านการทดสอบความด-20271.product

[PETERTHEEATER]

11 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Check the rubber diaphragms in your toilet cisterns. My usual monthly bill was around 300Bht and slowly climbed to several thousand baht over the course of a year. As soon as I replaced the valve inlets with the good American ones my bills immediately reverted to a few hundred baht. The cheap rubber diaphragms get eroded and water is flowing undetected 24 hrs per day.

A flow through a faulty flush valve is easily detected visually. Once the cistern has refilled following a flush any water leaking past a faulty flush seal can be seen trickling down the inside of the bowl and rippling the static water.

 

Even small leaks from cisterns and taps can waste a lot of water over a month.

 

I read my water meter every morning as part of my routine and record the readings in a water diary so that excessive consumption is obvious and can be investigated.

[NextStationBangkok]

16 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Check the rubber diaphragms in your toilet cisterns. My usual monthly bill was around 300Bht and slowly climbed to several thousand baht over the course of a year. As soon as I replaced the valve inlets with the good American ones my bills immediately reverted to a few hundred baht. The cheap rubber diaphragms get eroded and water is flowing undetected 24 hrs per day.

Check the rubber diaphragms in your toilet flush system...

 

Correct! This is key for your higher bills..... It is compulsory to replace every 2-3 years maximum if it is made of rubber. I am not sure why silicon technology used for longer life ?

 

Water is life! Saving water is saving environment. The members first post makes sense to ask opinion from other members. ThaiVisa breaking news are more attractive to reply, but these are really helping ThaiVisa community members, how to handle things Thailand, i hardly look at other topics. Soon i have to look for members asking for help.

[topt]

8 hours ago, NextStationBangkok said:

It is compulsory to replace every 2-3 years maximum if it is made of rubber

Says who?

As the previous poster to you mentions you should be able to see if they are leaking...........

I have no idea what mine are made of but they haven't been changed for at least 7 years and probably a lot longer.

[pieeyed]

I pay 900 baht a month pretty much steady.

[jeab1980]

12 minutes ago, pieeyed said:

I pay 900 baht a month pretty much steady.

That's an awful lot of water

[pieeyed]

Showers, laundry and dishes.That is all.

 

[Crossy]

7 hours ago, pieeyed said:

Showers, laundry and dishes.That is all.

It does seem excessive.

 

Are you paying direct to the water company or to condo management? Rate per m³?

 

Our bill is about 350 for two of us, but that includes cleaning of two cars and outside areas and some plant watering (we pump from the river for the garden).

 

[jeab1980]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

It does seem excessive.

 

Are you paying direct to the water company or to condo management? Rate per m³?

 

Our bill is about 350 for two of us, but that includes cleaning of two cars and outside areas and some plant watering (we pump from the river for the garden).

 

Yes agreed if its just as he states  "showers laundrt and dishes ie day to day living."

[pieeyed]

Pay day I direct to the water company. There are 6 people and 2 houses on the line.

Sent from my D5833 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[NextStationBangkok]

On 8/31/2017 at 5:07 PM, topt said:

Says who?

As the previous poster to you mentions you should be able to see if they are leaking...........

I have no idea what mine are made of but they haven't been changed for at least 7 years and probably a lot longer.

That is good to know, which brand are you using ?

 

My commode is American Standard, but I bought a no-brand rubber(50 Baht) earlier, it came for less than 3 years, that's how my water bill doubled few months ago, and i have replaced with branch Cotto, costed me around 200 Baht, seller told me it is a good one, but have to wait how long it lasts.

[NextStationBangkok]

On 8/31/2017 at 9:32 PM, pieeyed said:

I pay 900 baht a month pretty much steady.

900???

 

Looks like you own a rai size rice field to irrigate....

[Trollmann]

The price is 10.2 baht per 1000 liter up to 10 000 liter

The price is 16 baht per 1000 liter between 10 000 liter and 20 000 liter

The price is 19 baht per 1000 liter between 20 000 liter and 30 000 liter

The price is 21.2 baht per 1000 liter between 30 000 liter and 50 000 liter

The price is 21.6 baht per 1000 liter between 50 000 liter and 80 000 liter

 

10 000 liter is 102 bath but 51 000 liter is 897,60 baht, not 520.2 baht

Meter service charge 30 baht plus 7% vat must be added to the bill that makes 51 000 liter 992.53 baht

 

The water price calculator: http://en.pwa.co.th/calculate/water-tariff

The price for meter reconnection: http://en.pwa.co.th/contents/service/customer-guide#7

 

One 20 minutes shower use about 100 to 150 liter

One time flushing of the toilet uses about 5 liter