enforced water meter

happyhomelife

Hi all

Has anyone any views on / experience of this. We have just had a mailing from our suppliers Anglian Water advising us that they are going to install a water meter - note they are going to, not please can we.
They state that we can choose to opt out in due course but there is no hint that the meter is anything but compulsory. Are they entitled to install this without our say so as the homeowners?
It not as if the bill has ever been in arrears or anything like that - we have a standing order that has always gone like clockwork, their mailing had the look of a mass mailing being sent out to loads of customers.
We have checked plenty of times in the past and we would be vastly worse off with a meter (as a family of 5 in a 3 bed semi).
Needless to say we would 'opt out' but instinctively I don't think they should even be able to install one unless we asked them to, surely its our house not theirs.
Is there anyone else out there who has come across this?
All experience gratefully received!!

Thanks all

Cardew

Covered recently in this thread.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3411443

Gothicfairy

Sorry but they have the right to fit a meter and are doing so..Nothing you can do but suck it up and learn to use less water.

mcc100

If it is part of the extended metering program then they have the right to fit a meter but you can choose not to pay for metered charges .....

macman

Exactly, installing it does not mean that you will be billed on it, it will be disregarded, unless you have just moved into the property.

Taadaa

We got caught when we moved in to our house four years ago. They installed a meter and we get charged seperately for waste water and it costs us a small fortune - in the region of 30 quid a month overall. And we never take baths, have dual flush loos, i don't water the garden artificially, don't leave the tap running, always fill the washing machine....not good!

macman

Everyone gets charged separately for waste water disposal, it's based on a fixed percentage of your metered consumption.
Why is £1 a day for clean water a small fortune? Many people spend much more that that on subscription TV.

Taadaa

In the grand scheme of things, no. But it is when we were paying a tenner for it before we had a meter. And with Thames Water we got one bill for both services, not paying two different suppliers, which is what I meant.

macman

Then the property you were in before must have had an absurdly low RV in order to produce a bill of only £120 pa!
Being billed by 2 separate companies is a result of your location, not because you have a meter fitted. It should not cost you any more.

Taadaa

Yes, I know it is a result of my location.