Water meters - pros and cons?

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  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,037 Forumite
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    John_Pierpoint wrote: »
    Can people complainig or congratulating the result of fitting a meter please give their annuyal consumption in Cubic Meters or Tonnes (It is virtually the same number) - To my way of thinking & living on the north shore of the Thames Estuary ("Dryer than Rome"), both those figures sound like extortion to me, especially as Wales has a massive annual rainfall, when compared with Essex.

    How does the bill break down ?

    Have you considered rainwater harvesting ?


    The supply of water isn't the problem, it is the water treatment and distribution costs as well as sewerage treatment.


    My consumption - Severn Trent area - is about average for 3 occupants at around 150 cubic metres pa and costs around £500. That is over £1,100 cheaper than it would be if I were unmetered.
  • John_Pierpoint
    John_Pierpoint Posts: 8,391 Forumite
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    edited 26 March 2014 at 7:56PM
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    I pay an annual standing charge £40 then 140 pence per cubic meter.
    I "process" my own sewage.
    That tonne price, for the reprocessing of Chelmsford's upstream sewage, has been going up hand over fist in the last 10 years.
    I am surprised there is not the fuss about water that there has been over gas & electric.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,037 Forumite
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    John_Pierpoint wrote: »
    I am surprised there is not the fuss about water that there has been over gas & electric.


    I think it was a master stroke by Maggie to sell-off a largely clapped out Victorian water/sewerage system, knowing that the public would have to pay ever increasing bills to modernise the infrastructure.


    At least the water Regulator Ofwat has some teeth(unlike Ofcom and Oftel) and controls charges. However the water companies are in a win/win situation - as their share prices have shown.
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,508 Forumite
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    edited 27 March 2014 at 10:12AM
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    John_Pierpoint wrote: »
    Can people complainig or congratulating the result of fitting a meter please give their annuyal consumption in Cubic Meters or Tonnes (It is virtually the same number) - To my way of thinking & living on the north shore of the Thames Estuary ("Dryer than Rome"), both those figures sound like extortion to me, especially as Wales has a massive annual rainfall, when compared with Essex.

    How does the bill break down ?

    Have you considered rainwater harvesting ?

    We use ~ 120 cu m pa - next year's Dwr Cymru figures are ~£1.35 pcm for water and ~ £1.69 pcm for sewerage, with a standing charge of ~ £113 pa (£34 for water -£79 for sewerage)
    We do have a rainwater butt for garden use-but our main use of water is our power shower which eats water twice a day, every day!

    However,without the meter,water rates based on the "old" RV would be ~ £850 for the next financial year thus I'll show "savings" of ~ £380:)
  • rogerbaresel
    rogerbaresel Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Some properties - typically in a block of flats - can not be fitted with a meter for practical reasons. When this is the case, Thames Water should apply an assessed household charge. In our case this was £285 in y/e March 2014 for a 2 bedroom flat in central London. Thames Water claim that this is less than if it had been calculated on the chargeable value of our place.
    However, I think you need to request the assessed household charge.
  • rogerbaresel
    rogerbaresel Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Some properties - typically in a block of flats - can not be fitted with a meter for practical reasons. When this is the case, Thames Water should apply an assessed household charge. In our case this was £285 in y/e March 2014 for a 2 bedroom flat in central London. Thames Water claim that this is less than if it had been calculated on the chargeable value of our place.
    However, I think you need to request the assessed household charge.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,037 Forumite
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    rogerbaresel wrote: »
    Some properties - typically in a block of flats - can not be fitted with a meter for practical reasons. When this is the case, Thames Water should apply an assessed household charge. In our case this was £285 in y/e March 2014 for a 2 bedroom flat in central London. Thames Water claim that this is less than if it had been calculated on the chargeable value of our place.
    However, I think you need to request the assessed household charge.


    You have to apply for a meter to be fitted first. If it cannot be fitted for any reason, then you will be offered the choice of remaining on your Rateable Value(RV) based charges or move to the assessed charge.


    The basis of that assessed charge varies across the UK. Some use number of bedrooms, others number of occupants. Many offer a single person assessed charge.
  • Iceman80
    Iceman80 Posts: 1 Newbie
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    I was paying £54pm for water and sewage with United Utilities (so nearly £650py) since splitting up with my partner I have cut all my bills and this was my most significant change and I'm :jfor joy.




    At first they take £49pm until they can roughly see what your using. I'm 7 months in so United Utilities have to nearly £350 so far. I sent a meter reading to them today and I have only used £69 worth of water and sewage so I'm £281 in credit at month 7.
    I cant wait to see how much I've saved when month 12 comes, looking forward to finding out though. If you single I would certainly advised getting one. :beer:
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,508 Forumite
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    Iceman80 wrote: »
    I was paying £54pm for water and sewage with United Utilities (so nearly £650py) since splitting up with my partner I have cut all my bills and this was my most significant change and I'm :jfor joy.




    At first they take £49pm until they can roughly see what your using. I'm 7 months in so United Utilities have to nearly £350 so far. I sent a meter reading to them today and I have only used £69 worth of water and sewage so I'm £281 in credit at month 7.
    I cant wait to see how much I've saved when month 12 comes, looking forward to finding out though. If you single I would certainly advised getting one. :beer:


    ...don't forget your standing charge -in my region that is well over £100 pa:(
  • muayfly394
    muayfly394 Posts: 1 Newbie
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    scootermacc wrote: »
    Does anyone have any experience or advice on whether gettnig a water meter might save money or not?

    I have a natural reluctance against the idea in case my billis astronomical, but this is emotion not fact.

    Anyone help?

    its very help ful to check about your uses and and accordingly you can pay.
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