water meter think we have saved £200 a year

almond

hi
for anybody thinking about getting a meter this is my story and might help
always been worried about meter but went for one march last year
so far used 61 units @ £2.02 a unit = £123.22
the standing charge a year is £112.70 with nwa
123.22
112.70
£235.92 in just over 9 months
so £26.21 a month = £314.52 a year
yearly bill if i did'nt have a meter for current year would have been
£511.42 -314.52 = £196.90 saving
we have a 4bed house and i use a dishwasher , washing machine etc, we have also had a leak in a rather large pond and partner was topping it up a lot over summer.
We have cut down on baths and i could say stopped washing car but only do it only gets a wash when it rains lol
I can't say i have noticed trying to save water with it being the first year and knowing we could go back to unmetered but are very pleased and i thought i would post my figures just incase anybody was thinking about it

HappyMJ

By saving £200 a year you have devalued your 4 bedroomed house by at least £1,000.

Normally people would use about 1 cubic metre per person per week. You would expect a house with 4 bedrooms to have at least 5 occupants.

5 times 52 is 260 cubic metres per year multiplied by £2.02 is £525 plus the standing charge of £112 is £638

If a family wanted to buy your house instead of paying £511 per year they would have to think about having to pay £638 per year or significantly cut down their water usage to 540 litres per day or less. 4 people could easily use that. 3 people (A couple with 1 child) or less would save and they would not really be interested in buying a 4 bedroom house.....

almond

HappyMJ wrote: »

By saving £200 a year you have devalued your 4 bedroomed house by at least £1,000.

Normally people would use about 1 cubic metre per person per week. You would expect a house with 4 bedrooms to have at least 5 occupants.

5 times 52 is 260 cubic metres per year multiplied by £2.02 is £525 plus the standing charge of £112 is £638

If a family wanted to buy your house instead of paying £511 per year they would have to think about having to pay £638 per year or significantly cut down their water usage to 540 litres per day or less. 4 people could easily use that. 3 people (A couple with 1 child) or less would save and they would not really be interested in buying a 4 bedroom house.....

well i don't intend to move for another 5 years and my house price has fell by about 40k in last 5 years so i would rather save money myself than think about the current value

jimjames

HappyMJ wrote: »

By saving £200 a year you have devalued your 4 bedroomed house by at least £1,000.

Normally people would use about 1 cubic metre per person per week. You would expect a house with 4 bedrooms to have at least 5 occupants.

5 times 52 is 260 cubic metres per year multiplied by £2.02 is £525 plus the standing charge of £112 is £638

If a family wanted to buy your house instead of paying £511 per year they would have to think about having to pay £638 per year or significantly cut down their water usage to 540 litres per day or less. 4 people could easily use that. 3 people (A couple with 1 child) or less would save and they would not really be interested in buying a 4 bedroom house.....

I find it very hard to believe a meter would have any effect on the property value.

We have also saved significantly since switching. Family of 4 (2 kids under 12), bill was £500 or so before we switched 4 years ago. Now we pay £30 pm so £360 per year. Neighbour with smaller property on her own is paying £700 now since bills have risen.

All properties in area are being metered by 2015/2020 so everyone will soon have to take the same care of what they use.

Cardew

HappyMJ wrote: »

By saving £200 a year you have devalued your 4 bedroomed house by at least £1,000.

Normally people would use about 1 cubic metre per person per week. You would expect a house with 4 bedrooms to have at least 5 occupants.

5 times 52 is 260 cubic metres per year multiplied by £2.02 is £525 plus the standing charge of £112 is £638

If a family wanted to buy your house instead of paying £511 per year they would have to think about having to pay £638 per year or significantly cut down their water usage to 540 litres per day or less. 4 people could easily use that. 3 people (A couple with 1 child) or less would save and they would not really be interested in buying a 4 bedroom house.....

It is worth pointing out that water companies should make fitting a meter compulsory on change of occupant.

In the past some water companies enforced that provision of the Water Privatisation Act, and other didn't.

There is some evidence that the ruling is being enforced by more companies after recent statements by ofcom that stress metering is the fairest method of payment for water.

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/chargesbills/res_ofw_091014walkerinterim.pdf

The main problem of the way Water companies are currently funded is that it really doesn't matter if individual customers are paying too little or too much for their water; they are allowed to raise £xxxmillion; so there isn't an incentive to enforce metering.