What are the pros and cons? Essex and Suffolk Water (return address Northumbrian Water, Abbey Road, Pity Me) says that on average, meters save 20% of water. At least they don't want to install a Smartwater meter, that might breach copyright!
It depends, if you live with three or four other people, and you have a three or four bedroom house, you'll probably end up paying the same or more with a meter.
If it's just one or two of you in a three or four bedroom house, you should end up paying less. (Unless you have a leak, or leave the garden hose running all summer)
I really don't see how any meter (smart or otherwise) can affect your consumption.
It wouldn't, but you might find that by paying only for the water you use works out cheaper than paying the standard water rate based on the rateable value of your property (or whatever the normal process is in your area).
At one time if you had low occupancy (low water usage) in your house you could probably save quite a bit of money on your water bill.
Since then ratio between the daily standing charge and the actually charge for a m3 of water has changed. For low water users the fixed daily charge could now be larger than the charge for the metered water.
It may be worth checking on the T&C of having a water meter installed. With Essex/Suffolk water there used to be a cooling off period of 1 year(?) where if you discovered you were paying more for the metered water than you were were based on the nominal rateable (council tax) value of your property you could change back to the previous method of paying. The water meter would remain and on the sale of the property the new owner would have no option to pay based on meter readings.
There is no one answer because it depends on the rateable value of your house, number of occupants, life style (more baths than showers etc.) and things like watering a garden
We’ve had one since 1997 or so. Even when there five of use, it worked out far cheaper than paying under the old scheme. Since the daughters went to Uni, got their places etc, the savings are huge.
From memory, we pay about £28 / mth. We don’t make any special attempts to save water, we use what we need to, but we don’t waste it.
I assume someone reads it manually, I see some from time to time with a tabard.
As a child, my parents took us to somewhere near Pity Me for picnics. I think it was called Fincale Abbey.
We have two 2-bedroom holiday lets. I pay more for water on the one that is metered, despite it having a lower occupancy rate than the un-metered one. So not for me.
Jonathan
The latest invitation includes that link, so that is my next point of call. For reference, I am now a household of one since my wife died last summer, and I have no plans to do vast amounts of watering in the garden. And I am definitely a shower man rather than a bath man. I even turn off the water between soapings, a habit learned some time ago in an arid part of the world. Think M*A*S*H for reference.
The real worry is if you have a leak. Once you are on a meter, you pay for all the water that runs into the ground day after day, possibly for months without you knowing about it. If you're not metered you don't.
And the calculator says I should halve my water and sewerage cost. And yes, there is this in the T&Cs: "You will have up to 2 years to decide whether a meter suits you, if not, you can revert back to unmetered charges any time within that period. The meter will stay in place and future occupiers will be charged on the meter." I have applied. it should be installed by April 24th.
At least with a meter, when you get the next monthly bill, you will realise there is something wrong. Without a meter, it could just pour away for years, literally, wasting thousands and thousands of gallons. I speak from experience! It was only discovered when somebody's basement several houses away filled up with no visible cause, and Leicestershire's Night Water Emergency Flying Squad came out to find the leak, which was right under the verge outside our student rented house.
or have an acre and a half of garden and a leaky pond...
you'll probably end up paying the same or
When this happened at a previous house a couple of years after a meter was fitted, the water company waived the charge. They said that every household was allowed one "free" leak. The leak was 92m^3 over three months!
Although your DD will be monthly Essex/Suffolk only read the meter twice per year and send you the associated bill.
However, what are the chances of an undetected leak and you can read the meter yourself.
Word of warning: if you're on any sort of benefits, you can get a discounted fixed rate (mine is with Severn Trent and I pay £9 a month). I also have a water meter, but I have been told the water meter is disregarded because I'm already on a capped tariff.
Davey:
If the flats are identical, and identically occupied, then that should not happen unless one of the occupiers leaves the taps running. Even with four occupiers is shouldn't be that different from the unmetered flat.
Have you checked the water meter reading when the flat is unoccupied?
Same here when we moved. Thames Water waived £200 which was almost certainly wasted due to the purchaser's surveyor testing the outside tap and not turning it off fully. There was a hose connected into a flower bed, and being winter we didn't go outside to notice for a month.
My previous home was unmetered.
We moved from a 4-bedroom house to a 2.5-bedroom bungalow, already metered. The son of the previous owner told me that he was paying far less for water than his mother had and switched her to a meter with a subsequent huge drop in costs.
Since moving, our bills went right down, although since last summer we had a small extenasion built on the site of a dilapidated garage. Inevitably the bills shot up but I am hoping for a reduction since their departure.
We are with Affinity Water.
Alan
Not on benefits, thanks!
Think yourself lucky!
One branch of the family lives in Devon, their water/sewage charge is considerable.
(Pause)
Just pinged them…water + sewage = just over £5/cu m, plus £100pa standing charge. Less gummint rebate of £50pa.
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