Has anyone had a water meter fitted and found they actually paid less on their bill?

Elmer_BeFuddled

ferry said:

Thanks guys. So it could work in my favour being a family of 4
Out of interest if a meter is fitted and my bills end up higher can I revert to unmetered billing? Thames Water by the way
Thank you

Yes, if you're having it fitted you can revert (that's with Severn Trent but think it's the same with all, with a 2 year limit on reverting). However, if you sell on or move (rented) whilst meter is fitted the future owner/renter is stuck with it. It's worked for us but if we move out of our LA flat and the next tenants are a couple plus 3 kids and fill a giant paddling pool in the communal garden in summer they'll be in trouble water wise. But that's not my problem!!

Cardew

ferry said:

Thanks guys. So it could work in my favour being a family of 4
Out of interest if a meter is fitted and my bills end up higher can I revert to unmetered billing? Thames Water by the way
Thank you

The biggest factors are the Chargeable Value (was called Rateable Value) of your property(shown on your bill) and the amount of water you use. Meters don't work out cheaper for everyone. You can work out charges by looking on the Thames website - where you live makes a difference.The average consumption for a family of four is 220 cubic metres a year; although many say they use far less than that amount.

However Thames Water are making meters compulsory across their area - https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-meters/getting-a-water-meter

'We're fitting compulsory water meters for all our customers, starting in London. When it’s your turn, you’ll get a letter from us telling you we are going to be fitting meters in your area.' 

Thames appear to have dropped the provision to allow you to revert to unmetered billing.

wild666

ferry said:

Hi all 
Just curious, we are due to have a water meter fitted,  am current just paying a fixed amount each month 
Has anyone actually experienced making a saving and not making any major lifestyle changes by having a meter as everyone I have spoken to have said their bills have risen...some substantially 

Thanks 

I am paying around 26% of what I used before getting a water meter. It's coming up to two years and I have only used 27.2 cubic meters. Yorkshire water estimated 20 cubic meters of water this year and as last year I used 18 in the first year I have really cut down the usage. My bill before the meter was £442 per year but £132 for this year and I am in credit by over £29 this year. 

Grabs39

Yes, in our last house our bills dropped when we got our meter.

We moved in May into an unmetered house and our bills doubled.  We’ve been waiting for a meter since then feeling pretty peeved!

We don’t have children though.

roddydogs

Yes yes yes wish I'd done it earlier.

gcowboy

When my water meter was fitted, I received example bills of what it would cost me once the meter kicked in. They told me I was using water for a family of four!  Eventually, I discovered from my next door neighbour, for whom Thames Water had not fitted a meter, since there was no outside access to his water supply, that we are on a shared supply. Until now, that did not really matter, as we are both paying set water bills per annum. Had I not queried this with Thames Water, I might have ended up paying for the three people in my neighbour's house! If you think you are paying too much, I strongly encourage you to check with your supplier. This most likely applies only to very old houses, our buildings being Victorian. Due to COVID, Thames Water have put their meter inauguration on hold. My neighbour will eventually get his own meter. 

FaceHead

The vast majority of customers will save on a meter. The unmetered bill is a deliberate over estimate of usage to encourage people onto metered. Unless you have significantly more people than bedrooms metered is always the way to go. 

If you ask for a meter, but they can't fit one for some reason (would COVID count?) you just get a more realistic unmetered bill, known as 'assesed' which is a guaranteed saving. 

Thames installed a water meter for in November, right before COVID kicked off again, so we're at least doing them then. 

couriervanman

ferry said:

Thanks guys. So it could work in my favour being a family of 4
Out of interest if a meter is fitted and my bills end up higher can I revert to unmetered billing? Thames Water by the way
Thank you

Family of 4 might be cheaper on unmetered

Cardew

FaceHead said:

The vast majority of customers will save on a meter. The unmetered bill is a deliberate over estimate of usage to encourage people onto metered. Unless you have significantly more people than bedrooms metered is always the way to go. 

If you ask for a meter, but they can't fit one for some reason (would COVID count?) you just get a more realistic unmetered bill, known as 'assesed' which is a guaranteed saving. 
. 

This post is incorrect in a number of ways.

It appears to be unsubstantiated opinion expressed as facts.

couriervanman

We could possibly save a little in our house 3 bedroom 3 people but me and missus like a bath everyday (separately) plus the washing machine is on everyday dishwasher everyday.....and the lawns get a good soaking with sprinkler during the summer. We are Northumbria water customers so no hosepipe bans up here we have Kielder