Water meters in the UK...good or bad?

Question

Having just recieved my bill for this years water rates I wondered if I might be better off with a water meter. Does anyone have any experience of bills either decreasing or increasing after having one fitted?

Answer 1

We had a water meter fitted some years ago as there are two of us in a three/four bedroomed home, and as you are probably aware the water rates are worked out on the rateable value of the property. We are also with Yorkshire water. They came and surveyed our property to see if we were suitable for a meter, which we were, and our meter was fitted free of charge within a fortnight. I cannot remember what our bills were at the time but we saved around 40% on what we had been paying. We pay by Direct Debit and have just had this years statement and we will be paying £21:36 in February and £21:34 monthly for the rest of the year. If I remember correctly our first months on the meter were around £16 so, like everything else, water prices have risen...but nowhere near as much as the council taxes have...(which is the rateable value of the property) so, for us at least, it was well worth going onto a meter.
http://www.yorkshirewater.com/?OBH=252&ID=322

We also changed our washing machine to one which senses how much water to use and is also A rated.
We have showers rather than baths the majority of the time, and we also turn the water off while we soap ourselves, then turn it back on to rinse.
We don't have taps dripping or leave them running.
We have installed water butts in the garden to collect rainwater for use on the garden.
We have a hosepipe but only use it when absolutely necessary.
We do NOT have a dishwasher...they use copious amounts of water, and we only wash up once a day...
http://www.water-guide.org.uk/tips-home.html

See if you can save money by checking with uswitch...
http://www.uswitch.com/Water/index.aspx?i=1&sessionid=uW3gMDgiEpJ8%2f2laoTWgaAt9rI4NAHuI&ref=

Answer 2

Obviously things vary from city to city, but I am in the Yorkshire Water region. In my last house, I had the normal water system, and I paid £24 per month by direct debit. In my new house there was already a water meter fitted, so I now pay £20 a month by direct debit. There are only 2 of us in the house, we don't use a hosepipe or have a pond or anything like that. We do have a shower that kicks out a lot of water, and I do have a bath on occasion, but I don't think we use any more water than in the last house. I have been told that the best way to work it out is this:
If you have less people in the house than you have bedrooms (ie 2 people in a 3 bedroom house) then get a meter. If you don't (ie 4 people in a 3 bedroom house) then don't get a meter.

Answer 3

My water bill was based on the rateable value of my house and amounted to a monthly cost of £51.50. As there is just my wife and me, now that the fledglings have flown, we decided to have a meter fitted. The water company say that we should now only pay £28.00 per month. This is quite a saving. Ask your water company for their advice, they are obliged to be honest with you.
Obviously the amount you could save with a meter depends on the size of your home and the number of people living with you. If you decide to have a meter, you should also look at how you use water now and see if you can economise on consumption. e.g. Get a water butt to collect rain water for watering your garden, patio and pot plants, or use the bath water, don't leave the tap running when you clean your teeth and get those drippng taps fixed. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Definitely a saving with a water meter especially if there are just 1 or 2 people in the house,I pay £ 9-50 per month as opposed to nearly £30 per month before having the meter.
Even now I am very water conscious taking showers instead of baths,saving rainwater to water plants etc.
My advice is that if there are less than 4 people in your household then go for it.You will not regret it!

Answer 5

I've had a water meter for the last 8 years. Just by using a bit of care we have saved significantly. We have two young children so the washing machine is going every day, but things like showers instead of baths, turn off the tap when brushing teeth and using buckets instead of the hose to wash the car all make a difference.

Answer 6

It really depends when i was single living in a 2 bedroom house, my water meter cost me £9 a month. When my now wife and daughter moved in it went up to £32 a month. I'm in the Yorkshire water region and in my new house water rates only cost me £21 a month. So if youre single or a couple with no kids it could be a benefit, if you have a large family it could be a disadvantage. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Unless you use large amounts of water, ie filling a swimming pool in your garden or have a large family taking lots of baths etc, you should find that your bills will be less if you have a water meter fitted.

Answer 8

Do you reside in Atlanta? they have had hundreds of information of undesirable meters and extensive charges. close off the main substantial front of water into the abode then bypass see if the meter is working. A leak of this multitude could be heard or seen someplace.

Answer 9

Depends on the family size.
For large families water meters are not so good, as it is expensive. If for a single person and not so much in apartment, then financially viable.

Answer 10

I have looked into this recently and they say that if you have more rooms than people then you should get one. Although, I have spoken to a couple who have two teenage sons and they say it was the best thing they did. But couples with no kids are told that it is not worth it when there are just two of you. Hope this helps.