Water Meter - Stuck with it then?

lexie2005

The company that covers me has over 60% of customers on meters. I think your £44 a month was too much for 3 users from what you are saying. Three average users which is frequent baths/showers, regular washing machine & dishwasher use & occassional hosepipe usage in the Anglian Water region would be approx £425 a year. When you were paying the £44 a month were you asked to carry out any tests to check all was ok (no crossed/shared supply or leakage) We are a family of 3 with only a bath no shower (which uses considerably more) washing machine seems to be on constantly, although no dishwasher & we do use water in the garden in the summer & we pay £350ish.

Sadly the ombudsman says if you move in to a property on a meter you have to stay on the meter, its all to do with not being able to discriminate against people moving in to properties that were built post 1990 so if theres a meter there it is charged upon. When Maggie brought in the polltax RV was frozen so the way forward apparently was meters......

Hope its not as bad as you think & if your consumption is higher than it should be contact your water company....

Hope that helps!

mcc100

dollydiva wrote: »

The house we hope to buy has a water meter

If it is such an issue then don't buy this house, find one without a meter fitted.

Cardew

mcc100 wrote: »

If it is such an issue then don't buy this house, find one without a meter fitted.

That won't help in many areas.

All water companies can fit a meter when a house changes occupant(owner or tenant), regardless of the wishes of the new occupant - and it was always the intent of the Water privatisation regulations that this should happen.

However some companies enforce that regulation, whilst other don't. However there are signs that more and more companies are enforcing it and can do no matter how far back the house changed occupation(in the last few years.)

mcc100

Yes you're right Cardew.

I live in an area covered by Anglian Water who don't enforce it.

lilwead

My water rates are about £800 per year...I'm with South West Water... and they are the most expensive water company in the country. I would LOVE to only pay £44 per month for 3 of us!. I can trial a water meter for just under 12 months, and if it's not economical for me, can request it be removed and go back to annual charges, but it MUST be requested for removal BEFORE the 12 months are up. I'm in 2 minds about this as I have an old victorian house where the boiler is a long way from where the most water is used, i.e. the kitchen. To move the boiler would cost in excess of £1000 (I've shopped around already). So, I'm a bit stuck.

macman

lilwead wrote: »

My water rates are about £800 per year...I'm with South West Water... and they are the most expensive water company in the country. I would LOVE to only pay £44 per month for 3 of us!. I can trial a water meter for just under 12 months, and if it's not economical for me, can request it be removed and go back to annual charges, but it MUST be requested for removal BEFORE the 12 months are up. I'm in 2 minds about this as I have an old victorian house where the boiler is a long way from where the most water is used, i.e. the kitchen. To move the boiler would cost in excess of £1000 (I've shopped around already). So, I'm a bit stuck.

Eh? What's the boiler location got to do with installing a water meter?
Fit the meter, if it doesn't save you anything go back to RV billng before the 12m are up. How can you lose?

Norman_Castle

What's the boiler location got to do with installing a water meter?

I have to run over 10 litres of cold water for me to get hot water from the kitchen tap.When I turn the tap off this also leaves over 10 litres of hot water unused in the pipework. So, 10 litres of water wasted plus 10 litres of water heated for no reason. It would not work for me but a electric instant water heater over the sink may be an option for Lilwead.

macman

This has nothing to do with a water meter...

Norman_Castle

Cold water from the hot tap will go directly down the drain, but it will be measured by the water meter.

lexie2005

yeah but there are 1000 litres in a cubic metre which would be less than £3 for water & sewage charges so you would have to run hot water 100 times to waste £3 worth & am sure it would probably be at most about another £6 a month which compared to what you are paying at the mo is nothing. Go for it - you have the switchback guarantee to fall on!