New property. Water meter being be installed. Question!

evosy1978

Hi, just moved into a South Staffs Water area. They have sent an engineer out and the property has been earmarked fora new meter asap.

I've read through Martins advice and he says you can cancel it within 12 months of it being fitted, and so the meter would water stay but you would go back to the old water of paying. Is this still correct advice?

Can I cancel it before they fit it?

There leaflet says they can install it as their allowed by the water industry act 1991 supported by government and ofwat...

Im sure I read on the ofwat website only compulsory areas inthe south east and east have to have them fitted?

Any answers to theabove.
Thanks

HappyMJ

You cannot choose not to have a water meter. A water supplier can install a water meter on change of ownership and you cannot choose to revert back to rateable billling.

The compulsory areas that you've read about a supplier can install a water meter at any time.

Cardew

You have misread Martin's advice.
Only existing occupants who elect to have a meter fitted have the option to have it removed within the 12 month period.


On change of occupant all water companies have the power to fit a meter and there isn't the option for the new occupant to have it removed.


Some(most?) companies didn't bother to enforce that provision as it make no difference to the company's profits if a customer is metered or not.


However some companies did enforce that provision and there are signs that more companies are doing the same - as indeed they should.

matelodave

Make sure you read it when it's installed and then take regular readings, ideally monthly to check on how much you are using and to make sure that you don't have any leaks - the meter shouldn't move when you aren't using any water and you shouldn't get any big increases in consumption (unless you are regularly watering the garden or filling a swimming pool)
Having a meter and paying for what you use does make you more aware of what is being wasted and gives you an incentive to reduce your consumption and fix any leaks or dripping taps. Most water companies will give you free water saving devices like tap or shower flow restrictors or bags to put into the toilet cistern to reduce the flush volume.
You can save water by taking shorter showers, fewer baths and not letting water run down the sink whilst washing, rinsing or cleaning your teeth. Also only use the dishwasher & washing machine with a full load. Use a trigger spray on the hose when washing the car or watering the garden.


In my case having a water meter saves me about £250 a year against a bill based on rateable value

evosy1978

So why are they only being installed on people who buy a house rather than everyone else?

Also we have a lead rising main, so we have to run the water each time we turn the tap on......

Cardew

evosy1978 wrote: »

So why are they only being installed on people who buy a house rather than everyone else?

Because that was a provision of the Water Privatisation Act and it goes back to April 1990 when water meters were made compulsory for all new properties.


It is also not just people who buy a house but those who rent as well.


Some properties had an extremely low Rateable Value(RV) and paid - and indeed still pay - very low water charges based on that RV.


It was considered that to have compulsory metering would cause a huge rise in charges for some people, so the Act allowed existing occupants to retain billing based on the RV.


Had the water companies done as the Act intended, and fitted a meter on every change of occupant, only properties that had the same occupant since before April 1990 would not have a meter.