Why Is My Water Bill so High, Do I Have a Leak?

Why Is My Water Bill so High, Do I Have a Leak?

Plenty of things can suddenly cause a shocking spike in your water bill. House guests and seasonal changes that alter your water use are among them. Spending more time at home, due to retirement or remote working, is another — along with inflation.

If, after examining any more recent lifestyle changes, you still can’t explain why your water bill is so high, however, a leak may be the cause.

To check whether you may have a leak, it is a good idea to turn off all appliances that use any water whatsoever in your home, and to then head over to your water meter to see whether it stops moving. If water is still being used even after you shut off appliances that use water, you almost certainly have a leak.

The next task is to figure out where.

Where could you have a leak? Let’s take a look at the most common sources:

• Leaky toilets are a very common problem, and leaks can appear for a variety of different reasons. The toilet may be installed incorrectly, tee bolts may have come loose, or there may be a problem with the supply lines that connect to your toilet. Leaky toilets can waste enormous amounts of water, and are very often responsible for extremely high water bills.
• Faucet leaks are another possible cause. Does your tap keep dripping even after you turn it off? Each drop is, quite literally, money down the drain.
• Your washing machine and dishwasher could also have a leak. Because these large appliances are often boxed off, a leak can go unnoticed for a very long time.
• Your water heater can also develop costly leaks, but these leaks are typically easier to spot.
• Do you use an irrigation system for your yard? If a leak develops anywhere along the system, it would cause a huge amount of water to be wasted, resulting in a shockingly high water bill. Unfortunately, these kinds of leaks tend to be much harder to pinpoint than most other leaks.
• Underground leaks caused by cracks or loose joints within the pipes that supply water to your home are nearly impossible to detect. Very often, the only clue lies in — you guessed it! — exorbitantly high water bills.

Still with us? You obviously already suspect a leak, and the chances that you are right are high. You can go ahead and inspect all possible sources of leaks on your own. In some cases, you will even find that you can easily fix the problem on your own.

Should your preliminary investigation yield no results, however, don’t simply accept the idea that your water bills will be sky high from now on. Call a reputable leak detection company to shed definitive light on the matter. It’s the fastest way to get your water bill back down!