Should I go on a water meter?

Help1234

Hi,

I am 30 and live with my partner who is 33. We have a bit of debt from buying and renovating our first home and I am wondering if I can make savings on our water bill. We have a fixed bill per month, which is £38.75. I do not know whether it would be worth going on a meter in stead? There is only two of us and we do not both necessarily shower every day as sometimes we go swimming before work and shower there. We do however, use the slimline dishwasher a lot, sometimes maybe twice a day. We also use the washing machine most days. So I’m not sure what would work our best? Any way of knowing?

Ms_Chocaholic

The prices differ according to your water authority, where approx do you live please.

Saying that, you can usually request a water meter and return to rateable value within a year of installation if you decide it's not for you. That applies in my area, presume it's across the board.


Enter your details into here to see if you will save
https://www.ccwater.org.uk/watermetercalculator/

Help1234

Thanks I live in Cheshire about 20min north of Stoke

ReadingTim

I read somewhere that a useful rule of thumb was that if you had more bedrooms than people in the house then you'll save money with a water meter. However, if you have more people than rooms, you probably won't.

I suspect kids may come into it to - if you think you might have them in the future, your water usage is likely to increase, so bear that in mind, because I think there are certain rules about reverting to a flat rate once you've had a meter fitted - it may be possible that you can't go back, even if the meter turns out to be more expensive than rates at some point in the future.

In summary, depending on how long you're likely to be in the property for, and your other life plans, you may want to take the long view on this, and don't fall into the trap of trying to save a few quid in the short term - it may not prove to be worth it!

MallyGirl

Help1234 wrote: »

Hi,

I am 30 and live with my partner who is 33. We have a bit of debt from buying and renovating our first home and I am wondering if I can make savings on our water bill. We have a fixed bill per month, which is £38.75. I do not know whether it would be worth going on a meter in stead? There is only two of us and we do not both necessarily shower every day as sometimes we go swimming before work and shower there. We do however, use the slimline dishwasher a lot, sometimes maybe twice a day. We also use the washing machine most days. So I’m not sure what would work our best? Any way of knowing?

That is more than we pay for 2 adults and a teen with 2 big messy dogs.
I have to wonder how 2 adults can need to run a washing machine most days (unless you do a lot of sport) and a dishwasher twice a day.

Ebe_Scrooge

All the above points are very valid - especially the part about thinking how your usage may change in the future.

But for what it's worth ...My parents had a meter fitted years ago. At the time they had the option to go back to standard "water rates" (or whatever they're called these days) after a year if they wanted to. They took the conscious decision not to change their habits - still washed the car, still watered the garden, still let the grand-children have hose-pipe fights in the garden during summer, etc. At the end of the year, they'd paid about half what they used to pay, so they were very happy.

chelseablue

We have a water meter and currently pay £21 a month

That's with 2 adults and a 5 year old (in a 3 bed house)

I agree about wondering how 2 adults need the washing machine on every day?

Mine will be going on tonight but before that it was last on Tuesday, and that's with a 5 year old who comes out of school everyday seeming to have put most of his lunch on his jumper :rotfl: