Have you received a water bill that is much higher than usual? Are you asking yourself why has my water bill doubled or even tripled this month?  It can be alarming and frustrating to get a high water bill. While it is common for water bills to rise a bit during certain times of the year, getting unexpectedly higher bills might indicate some underlying plumbing problem.

If your water bill is randomly higher than normal, go through the list below of potential possible causes.

Changes in higher than usual water usage can be the reason for a sudden spike in your bill. This often occurs in summer, with a rise in water consumption due to watering lawns and gardens, filling swimming pools, running sprinklers or taking more showers than usual.

Another simple explanation that often gets overlooked is if the number of people in your home has increased. Did you have guests staying over that would have increased usage? It’s not just extra showers, it’s washing clothes and washing dishes that increase water consumption. Baths use a lot more water than showers, so if there has been guest, a newborn or kids, these are situations to consider as to why your bill has increased.

Check all your taps for leaking faucets, showers, and outside garden taps. A dripping faucet can waste gallons of water. They may not seem like a lot of wasted water but if you have a couple leaking taps it quickly adds up over a month to a large amount of water and an increase in your bill. 

Toilets are one of the most significant sources of indoor water use in a household. A running or leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day. Check the water tank for leaks. Signs of a leak would be, a damp floor around the toilet base, cracked toilet, a constantly running toilet, difficulty flushing or clogs and sewer smells. As toilets get older, they have to work harder to do their jobs. Harder work means more water. Even if your toilet functions effectively, it’s also possible that It’s an old design that uses a lot of water. If you’re worried about your water bill, consider replacing your old toilet with a new one.

If after checking your faucets you find no leaks, then it’s time to search for leaking pipes. Water leaks stemming from your pipes are a bit tougher to spot since they are usually inside the walls. It helps if you use your nose, as well as your eyes, to search for clues such as:

               Strange musty smells from the air or your water supply

               Discolored water

               Stained, bubbling, or peeling paint

               Growth of mold or mildew

Washing machines and dishwashers can also cause leaks. A leaking washing machine or dishwasher tend to warp or stain flooring.

It is important to consider all these possibilities before panicking about the higher water bill. Remember when comparing water bills, always make sure you are comparing from a similar time of year with similar temperatures. Regardless of what’s causing the increase, Duncan Plumbing Solutions will be able to solve your plumbing problem.