Water meters on average save 20% of water - is that true?

[Max Demian]

It would if you are tight fisted. "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down."

[Brian]

I’ve looked at our company website and their prices are about £3.5/ cu m and £60 ( exc surface water). Whether the £3.5 includes the VAt ( on clean water) isn’t clear.

The company was forced to reduce prices recently but even before that we weren’t paying much more.

The price based on bedrooms would be about £42 / mth.

Originally, it was on rateable value, which made it expensive.

[Jeff Gaines]

:-)

[PeterC]

I read mine once a week; if thereading is out of the expected range for the week's useage I look closely at the little cog wheel in the centre. IME - a couple of times - a leak is audible if more than just a trickle.

A neighbour's supply is via a meter in the footway but that feeds more than one house; her meter is indoors with a box outside that can re read with the correct device. If there's a leak inside her yard, ie before her meter, the company will have to fix it. I have about 35 - 40m of pipe from the meter :-(

[Chris B]

Also if you have house insurance its worth checking the policy conditions - from My policy

We’ll provide the following cover for any loss or damage to your buildings and contents due to the causes below, up to the limit of cover shown on your quote.........

"Water or oil leaking from any fixed tank, domestic appliance or pipe. Loss of metered water or oil, see ‘policy limits’ for the amount we’ll pay up to."

[Tim Streater]

Only if the leak is on your property. In which case you should be fixing it anyway.

[SteveW]

You can pick up water meter for 20 to 30 quid, plumb it in after your inside stopcock and see how much you use over a year, then make your decision.

[SteveW]

Probably because you are scared of the cost and make extra effort to save water - shorter showers; showers instead of baths; turning the tap off when you are brushing your teeth; etc.

[The Natural Philosopher]

That cant be right. unmetered is a 'guess', metered is what you used. The water board cant know what the unmetered flats are using. No reason for them to be anywhere near.

[Michael Chare]

It certainly did for me and possibly even more for a neighbour whose house was in a higher council tax band.

[Algernon Goss-Custard]

Tim Streater [e-mail] posted

But if you're not metered, you don't know about it, and nor does anyone else. So you can't fix it.

[Tim Streater]

You do if it's flowing all over your front lawn.

[Jeff Layman]

All we have to go on is the metered cost compared to the unmetered cost (assumed based on rates?). It varies, of course, but the break-even point is usually 3 - 4 occupants. Less than that, and metered is cheaper; higher that that cost base don rates is cheaper.

If it's considerably more for metered, the OP should be checking that flat for leaks.

[Tim Streater]

Really speaking, everyone should be on a meter.

[Davey]

True, but they are not. In the US, where I lived for many years, you were either on a meter or you had a well.

[Davey]

See my other post. There was a leak outside our house, and nobody knew about it until somebody's basement flooded. I agree this was not on our property, but it was close.

[RJH]

I've a meter and pay about a quarter (£12/month) - just me in a large house.

[alan_m]

And if you are saving on incoming water charges you are also saving on outgoing sewage charges that is also billed, in general, on either rateable value of the property or the water meter readings.

[Tim Streater]

Only because of the foolish perception that water should be "free", after all it falls from the skies so why should there be more than a minimal charge. With the same logic you can argue that petrol should be free.

And I was on a meter when I lived there, and as I was in Switzerland.

[Max Demian]

If you complain that the unmetered bill is too high they say they can't review it as it's based on rates and they don't exist any more. Rates stopped in 1990 and my flat was built in 1995/6; I suppose any excuse is better than none.