Domestic consumers would be charged Sh. 53 per cubic metre utilized for units of water above 6 and between 7 and 60.
To figure out how much water you use, you’ll need to know that a cubic metre of water equals 1000 litres.
So, if you use 10 cubic metres of water (10,000 Litres), you will pay Sh. 204 + (4 x 53), which equals Sh. 416 in the domestic category.
How much does Kenya’s water bill cost?
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) has been granted permission to raise customer tariffs, putting the four million people of Kenya’s capital on a path to paying more for the utility starting in January.
After a month of public consultations, the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) confirmed on Friday that it had given the NCWSC conditional permission for the anticipated pricing increase.
The NCWSC, a subsidiary of the Nairobi county government known as Nairobi Water, had requested a 104 percent increase in water charges from the regulator, but only received a 93 percent approval.
It means that most Nairobi residents who use an average of 20 cubic meters of water per month may expect to pay around Sh1,674 starting next year, up from Sh868 now. This figure includes sewage rates of 75% of the amount charged on water units consumed, as well as Sh50 in meter rent.
Low-income earners who use less than six cubic metres of water would see their monthly rates rise from Sh187.10 to Sh204 flat rate, a nine percent increase.
Wasreb’s chief of regulatory services, Peter Njaggah, said, “We gave our suggested price to Nairobi Water last week for them to engage the public in a 30-day consultation exercise to explain (to the people) why they are raising the tariff and how they will execute it.”
“Then they’ll present their results to us, and we’ll give them the green light to apply the new tariff.”
The water regulator has granted upward pricing revisions of 70% to 100% for counties including Nyeri, Embu, Kiambu, Kisumu, and Uasin Gishu in recent months, showing the countrywide scale of the changes.
This new tariff increase will compel water customers to dig further into their wallets, a harsh blow given that it comes at a time when the cost of living is at an all-time high. Nairobi Water’s managing director, Philip Gichuki, defended the higher tariffs, claiming that they were essential since the company urgently needed additional revenue to improve its infrastructure.
Nairobi loses up to 50% of its water due to leaks in old pipe systems and unauthorized connections, according to estimates. Nairobi Water petitioned the regulator in March to allow the firm to raise water fees, claiming that operating expenses had nearly doubled since the previous assessment in 2009.
Water tariffs are supposed to be reviewed every three years. Domestic and business customers using between 0 and 6 cubic meters would pay a set fee of Sh200, while those using between 7 and 60 cubic meters would pay Sh56 per unit. Those who used more beyond 60 cubic meters had to pay Sh90 each unit.
The average consumer, who uses roughly 20 cubic meters of water per month, would have paid Sh1,772 per month if this had been implemented, a 104 percent increase over the present monthly rate of Sh868. Wasreb, on the other hand, approved tariffs of Sh204, Sh52, and Sh64 for each of the three tariff categories.
In making this decision, the regulator also barred Nairobi Water from putting Sh6.2 billion in infrastructure investments it planned to source in the price revision, preventing consumers from footing the bill.
Mr Njaggah stated, “It would not have been right to enable these capital requirements to be considered into the review because a portion of this money was to be sourced from government, and this would be equal to double taxation.” Wasreb, on the other hand, granted some of the utility company’s requests.
The water corporation had proposed raising the flat fee for low-income earners those living in informal settlements who consume a maximum of 10 cubic meters per month from Sh187.1 to Sh200.
The regulator has now approved a flat rate of Sh204 for the first six cubic meters of water consumed beginning in January, allowing them to charge these customers even more.
Wasreb also permitted the water distributor to impose a communal tax on residents of flats and gated communities, with these estates being invoiced using a single meter. The authorized fee of Sh50 per cubic meter is less than the NCWSC’s proposed rate of Sh60.
Mr Gichuki attempted to defend the hike by claiming that Nairobi Water had been paying a monthly electricity bill of Sh15 million in 2009, but that this had now increased to Sh35 million, which they had to cover.
“The tariff adjustment will not only buffer us from cost increases, but it will also be utilized to fund improvements that are desperately needed to improve our service,” Mr Gichuki said.
“We will clarify these difficulties to our customers during the public interaction, which will commence in the last week of this month.” We’ll next forward their feedback to Wasreb and begin implementing the new tariff in January.”
Two collective bargaining agreements had been ratified since the last evaluation five years ago, he noted, bringing staff costs to 54% of total expenditure.
Wasreb objected to the company’s suggested rates because of the amount of revenue it loses and the fact that supply was still insufficient. Nairobi Water presently earns around Sh560 million per month from its 280,000 consumers, but this figure might be greater because the company loses roughly 38% of its revenue.
Over the following three years that the new rate is in effect, the regulator wants the company to lower the number of defaulting clients, curtail unlawful connections, especially in informal settlements, and reduce its personnel to operations costs ratio from 54 percent to 30 percent.
What factors go into determining the price of water?
There are two types of fees charged by water companies. The first is unmetered and generates a set rate based on the ‘rateable’ worth of your home. Metered water is the second option, in which you are charged for the amount of water you consume. If your water account is unmetered and you believe it is excessively costly, you can request a change to a metered bill from your supplier.
Your water usage and your water bill might not have anything in common. If you don’t have a water meter, this is surely the case. Your statement will consist of a set charge plus a charge based on the rateable value of your home in this case.
The rateable value is determined by the rental value of your home as determined by your local government. What’s more irritating is that this rating was done between 1973 and 1990, so it’s scarcely current, and you can’t even appeal if you believe the rateable value is too high.
To summarize, the amount you pay is out of your control, has nothing to do with how much water you really use, and is based on the value of your home in 1990.
The silver lining is that you should get your money’s worth if you do use a load of water.
If you live alone or your household does not use a lot of water, you may choose to switch to a metered account. This implies that your bill will include both a fixed and a volumetric charge, depending on how much you used. The amount you pay will mostly be determined by how much water you consume.
What is the formula for calculating my water meter?
Meters are read using automatic meters, which eliminate the need to enter private property. The new meters have improved efficiencies and lowered estimated reads.
How to read your meter?
It’s akin like reading the odometer on your automobile to read your water meter. From left to right, read all of the numerals. Numbers following the decimal point and numbers with a black background should not be included. In the same way, submeters are read.
Converting HCF to gallons
Every month, PWD measures water consumption in hundred cubic feet (HCF) for billing purposes. However, calculating your usage in gallons is simple.
To figure out how many gallons were utilized, multiply the amount of HCF by 748 gallons.
Using your meter to find a leak
Your water meter is an important instrument for water conservation. Reading your meter can help you find leaks in your domestic plumbing in addition to providing you with information about how much water you are consuming.
To check for a leak, turn off all faucets both inside and outside your home. When conducting this task, make sure the toilet is not flushed and the automatic ice cube machine is turned off.
The low flow indicator should not move when the water is turned off. The indicator is a black or red triangle, depending on the sort of meter you have.
What is the definition of a unit of water?
100 cubic feet (about 748 gallons) equals one unit of water. If your bill says you used 3 units of water, you consumed about 2,244 gallons (748 X 3 = 2244) over the billing period.
How can you figure out how much water you use?
Meters keep track of how much water is consumed. You may calculate how many units of water you’ve used since your last meter reading by subtracting the current measurement from the previous reading. To calculate your water consumption in dollars, multiply the units by your current water rate.
How much does a typical water bill cost?
The average American family uses 300 gallons of water per day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
16 That’s enough water to fill a six-person hot tub, to put it in context.
Water costs are also on the rise. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, it increased by 41%, with sewage charges and taxes increasing even more substantially. 17 Since 2015, the rate of increase has moderated, although prices have continued to rise.
What is the formula for calculating a water bill per cubic meter?
Do we have to wait for the MBWD’s meter reader to figure out how much water we use in a month? There’s no need! In fact, using basic mathematics, we can calculate our monthly water consumption. The key to understanding your household water usage is to look at your water meter. The amount you are charged each month on your water bill is determined on the reading from your water meter.
1) For starters, you might be curious in how much water you use in a day. You may calculate how much water you and your family used by comparing the two totals from your meter at the start and end of the day.
2) Checking for leaks is the second reason. Look at the leak detection indicator* on your meter after you’ve turned off all the taps and water-using appliances in your house. If it’s turning, you’ve probably got a leak someplace.
Read your meter at the same time every day for the best results. Water usage is measured in cubic meters by meters.
To figure out how much water you’ve used since your last measurement, multiply the current meter reading by the prior meter reading (from your water bill) to get the number of cubic meters utilized. If your prior reading was 001,200 and your new reading is 001,250, you have used 50 cubic meters of water since your previous reading. Because one drum equals 200 liters, 1 cubic meter is equal to 5 drums.
It is a novel Metro Bangued Water District connection installation technique in which water meters of clustered concessionaires or concessionaires whose dwellings are close together are put or clustered at just one location and share one tapping point at the District’s distribution line. Furthermore, all water meters have been set at the road’s shoulders or outside private houses. All meters that were previously set inside private lots were transferred outside the concessionaires’ grounds.
- Non-revenue water will be reduced as unlawful connections and water meter theft are avoided, and the likelihood of future leaks will be reduced as tapping sites in distribution lines are vulnerable to leakage owing to wear and tear.
- To avoid unpleasant situations and make disconnection activities easier to conduct.
How much water do I consume on a monthly basis?
An average person uses 3,000 gallons of water per month, according to the water industry, so a family of four would use 12,000 gallons for bathing, cooking, washing, recreation, and watering. When estimating average use, however, a number of criteria are taken into account.
