Metered of Un-metered Water- What do buyers think?

Will88

Hi,

I have recently bought a 3 bed semi detached house. When I move in I will be living there on my own for about 6 months before my girlfriend's tenancy runs out and moves in.

The current water bill is approximately £40 per month. This seems like a lot, especially as we have been paying about £15 per month in metered student houses. I would consider us to be low users.

My question is I could save quite a lot of money by switching to metered water, however my Dad has warned me that potential buyers (when I come to sell the house (whenever that may be) are put off by having a meter.

Is this true? Would anyone on this forum have a problem having metered water?

I'm just interested as I believe I could save quite a lot of money by switching.

Thanks,

Will

HappyMJ

Will88 wrote: »

Hi,

I have recently bought a 3 bed semi detached house. When I move in I will be living there on my own for about 6 months before my girlfriend's tenancy runs out and moves in.

The current water bill is approximately £40 per month. This seems like a lot, especially as we have been paying about £15 per month in metered student houses. I would consider us to be low users.

My question is I could save quite a lot of money by switching to metered water, however my Dad has warned me that potential buyers (when I come to sell the house (whenever that may be) are put off by having a meter.

Is this true? Would anyone on this forum have a problem having metered water?

I'm just interested as I believe I could save quite a lot of money by switching.

Thanks,

Will

I don't have a problem with metered water...but that is because I live by myself and would save in almost any property.

Work out what the water bill would cost if the house is occupied by 4 people...2 adults and 2 children. Each person uses around 50 cubic metres per year. So about 200 cubic metres than add the standing charges. If £40 a month is less than the figure you have worked out then I'd stay on unmetered. However, if it's not much less or higher then I'd switch to a meter.

If the figures are close then it doesn't really matter either way.

Ms_Chocaholic

All new houses have water meters installed as do any properties that are sold that do not have one (certain areas). I would not worry. Buyers will clearly be limiting their market significantly if they want to buy a property without a water meter.

macman

It's irrelevant. Consider: Richmond on Thames has the highest level of CT in the UK (average £775 per head this year). But that doesn't stop people wanting to buy homes there.
I doubt that one buyer in five even checks if the property is metered or not. And by the time you come to sell, metering may be compulsory in your area for the new owner anyway, if it isn't already.
Region is more important, because the difference can be as high as 250%. Yet people still want to buy property in the SWW region, where water prices are by far the highest in the UK.

Jonesya

Metered water didn't put me off my current place.

I think you've got to be careful that your cost comparisons are realistic though, you mention paying £15/month in a student house but was that the cost when split between several people?

Don't forget that with your own home you're going to have a load of standing charges even if you're metered, there's a fixed charge for the water supply, fixed charges for sewage and fixed charges for surface water run-off (assuming your rain water goes into a public sewer). The surface water run-off charge can be quite high, think mine is around £100/year.

Will88

Thanks for the replies. I will do some calculations and then decide (probably going to switch anyway).

@Jonesya, you are right, but that was only split between two of us. I budgeted in £30 a month for water which in my head sounds like a sensible amount to pay. I'm not opposed to spending £40 a month but if I can knock off £10 per month that's £120 a year which is quite a nice saving.

Thanks,

Will

keystone

You may not have a choice. Some water companies take the view that new occupier = meter if not metered before and no argument. Mine does. Look it up on your suppliers webby.

Cheers

27col

It's no brainer get, metered asap. My waste water bill is £58 per half tear and the water supply is only aboiut £30 per half year. So about £280 pa. When I was un- metered we used to pay about £500 pa for the same amount of service. This was probably at least 8 years ago. So big savings going onto metered supply.

Yorkie1

It is usually said that you will save money on a meter if you have fewer people in the house than bedrooms.

wealdroam

Will88 wrote: »

My question is I could save quite a lot of money by switching to metered water?

Have you read MSE's article on this subject yet?

Will88

I have read the article on this site. The original question was asking more about if there is a stigma about being metered when coming to selling a house. Since this was something that my Dad had warned me about I thought that it would be worth finding out what others thought.