Water meters- why not?

[ARWadsworth]

Why not meter every household?

Adam

[Adrian C]

"The fabulously beautful planet Bethselamin is now so worried about the cumulative erosion by ten billion visiting tourists a year that any net imbalance between the amount you eat and the amount you excrete whilst on the planet is surgically removed from your bodyweight when you leave: so every time you go to the lavatory there it is vitally important to get a receipt."

[Tim W]

ARWadsworth wibbled on Tuesday 08 December 2009 13:34

I cannot argue against them, they are as fair as fair can be. No doubt I'll have one forced on me down the line.

But for now, I'm enjoying my flat rate unlimited supply, especially while messing around with building work :)

[Tim W]

Tim W wibbled on Tuesday 08 December 2009 14:04

Although I like the spin the article:

"The disadvantages of meters are that your bills may rise."

[Captain Obvious calling...]

"People who cut their water use often find other bills fall as well, as about 40% of energy bills go on heating water for washing dishes and clothes, bathing and showering."

[We don't think you're smelly enough]

"Another benefit is the meter allows you to see whether you have a leak. "

[When you get your bill for £1028 one quarter]

[Clot]

It was with that in mind that I had our meter installed in the house rather than the stop tap in the street.

[ARWadsworth]

Share a bath and do a full load in the dishwasher and the washing machine.

Easy.

Adam

[Dave Liquorice]

40% on water heating. Well I guess if you are family of 5 and all have 150l hot baths every day you might.

Water heating here is about 15% of the oil consumption. ie in summer we use about 25l of oil/week in the winter about 150l/week.

[Man at B&Q]

Then again it may be halved, like ours was. I can only assume we're being subsidised by those on the old system.

MBQ

[The Natural Philosopher]

Here with a big house and two people, even if one constantly leaves the hot tap running its only about 5%

[Jim]

It would be interesting to compare with the figures for houses built to the latest building regulations for Part L.

[larkim]

Because where I live water isn't a scarce resource? Having previously had a meter, and now not having one (current house has two separate connections to the mains, so they won't put one on) I know that for us it is cheaper to have a meter, but I do wonder whether the quantity I use matters much. Water is in plentiful supply here in North Cheshire, and there are no predictions that we'll ever have a shortage, so why should I try to use less?

Countering my own argument, I presume there is an energy cost per litre of water that I consume (pumping, cleaning, chlorinating, filtering, etc etc) so for me if they want me to use less they should be telling me about the environmental impact of the energy required to provide me with the water that I need.

Personally I'd rather be on a meter as I culturally don't waste water (use a water butt, hippos in the cisterns, use showers, don't wash the car, use full washing machine/dishwasher (not part loads), "yellow, mellow, brown, down", etc etc) and I would therefore be financially better off, but I don't see the benefit of metering everyone where water shortages aren't a problem.

Matt

[TheScullster]

"ARWadsworth" wrote

We were pleasantly suprised at the metered tariff. Moved from a 3 bed semi (unmetered) to a 4 bed detached (metered) in 2002 - our water bill was significantly lower. This is a family of 2 adults and (at-the-time) 2 children aged 6 and 9, each averaging 1 bath/shower a day. Not ridiculously frugal with water - some plant watering/car washing etc included. Washing machine run minimum of once per day!

Phil

[Frank Erskine]

With the dog? No thanks.

[sam coleridge]

is it only a matter of time before the water companies think its *their* water to charge on as they will?

its happened to BT who charge connection rates to people who inadvertently ring a number with voice mail giving no time to not accept the connection. they think they own the right to charge you for your call with no option for you not to make the connection.

[John]

Because where I live water isn't a scarce resource? Having previously had a meter, and now not having one (current house has two separate connections to the mains, so they won't put one on) I know that for us it is cheaper to have a meter, but I do wonder whether the quantity I use matters much. Water is in plentiful supply here in North Cheshire, and there are no predictions that we'll ever have a shortage, so why should I try to use less?

Countering my own argument, I presume there is an energy cost per litre of water that I consume (pumping, cleaning, chlorinating, filtering, etc etc) so for me if they want me to use less they should be telling me about the environmental impact of the energy required to provide me with the water that I need.

Personally I'd rather be on a meter as I culturally don't waste water (use a water butt, hippos in the cisterns, use showers, don't wash the car, use full washing machine/dishwasher (not part loads), "yellow, mellow, brown, down", etc etc) and I would therefore be financially better off, but I don't see the benefit of metering everyone where water shortages aren't a problem.

Matt

Although water is plentiful in some areas - the capacity of the sewage works may be limited. You also point out the cost of filtration and pumping

[js.b1]

Would be funny in a way to water meter west parts of wales & west part of ireland... babies get born in a wetsuit there.

[D.M.Chapman]

They are around here. We had ours installed a few weeks ago. Not optional...

Darren

[Nightjar]

Mine fell significantly, as have those of everyone I know with one. Not that I used less water. I simply used less than they assumed for a house the size of mine.

...

I think it was more than that when the meter reader didn't clean the window and read a 1 as a 4 on the thousands digit. I asked how they thought I would have used over 3,000 cubic metres in one quarter. They sent a man around to re-read the meter.

Colin Bignell

[PeterC]

An electrician working for Anglia Water told me that (apart from labour) electricity was the biggest bill.

[ARWadsworth]

Bugger. I was going to have a big crap when I got to France.

Adam