Forced To Have a Meter??

ross21096

Hello,

My wife and I have purchased our first home together and move in on 12th March, the current occupiers pay a monthly bill for the water and do not have a meter installed. They have lived at the house for 11 years.

We are a couple with no children (Yet!) and would like to pay monthly in the new house, but I heard that ST Water will FORCE me into having a meter when we move in?? Is this true? I hope not as we want to have children next year and will be using a dishwasher and washing machine twice a week as well as each of us having regular baths in the evenings etc.

Any idea's as to whether a meter will be forced upon us, anyone had this situation recently?

Thanks

Gothicfairy

Do you mean Severn Trent Water ?

macman

The only circumstances under which you have to have a metered bill is when the previous occupiers have had one installed, and then reverted to RV billing within 12 months of installation.
The subsequent occupiers then have to go onto metered billing.

Mids_Costcutter

How do you know that you wouldn't save money with a water meter? If a meter hasn't been installed previously, you choose to have one installed, and then don't see the savings you'd hoped for STW give you the option to go back to RV (Rateable Value) charging.

Of course having a water meter is an incentive to save water!

Keeping_Positive

I have a meter with a family of five and the bill is £23 a month not much worse than I paid pre meter in the last house 6 years ago.

karatedragon

Metering isn't that bad for water. People are scared of it for some reason. But you are in control through how much you use. How good is that? That is what I like about it. If I use less I pay less.

In fact I think everyone should be metered. You pay for your electric and gas by metering so why not water and waste water?

Cardew

macman wrote: »

The only circumstances under which you have to have a metered bill is when the previous occupiers have had one installed, and then reverted to RV billing within 12 months of installation.
The subsequent occupiers then have to go onto metered billing.

Not so!!

All companies have the power to force ALL new occupants(account holders) to have a meter - i.e. it isn't optional!

However some companies rigorously enforce that regulation and others don't.

There have been loads of post from people, similar to the OP, who have had a water meter fitted against their will.

The probability is that the OP will save on a meter, but if they have an old property with a low RV, that might not be the case.

ross21096

Thanks for the advice, I may go with what mids_costcutter said and try a meter to see the difference in charges and go back to RV if it's too much :-)

Gothicfairy

Ross..Are you talking about Severn Trent water ? They do not make new owners have a water meter fitted.
Some companies do but they are not one , yet.

ross21096

Yes, Severn Trent Water...that is interesting what you are saying, anyway, I move in tomorrow...so excited! Will update the thread once I have telephoned them!