water meter is cheaper

northernstar007

doing a full review of all my outgoings i thought it would be good idea to call northumbria water up
my account all up todate , and been on a meter for about 10+ years give or take
i asked would it be cheaper being on a the fixed rates, and answer is NO
living on my own is £26pm on a meter or the fixed rates £46pm

so if anyone thats paying a fixed rate it may be cheaper being on a meter if your a low usage 
1 shower everyday, 3-4 washer a week and car wash 4-5 month also the block paving blasted once a year

SensibleNotTight

Thanks for this - I've often wondered if we'd be better off without a meter, looks like the answer may be "no". There are 2 of us but we are generally fairly careful with what we use, have showers rather than baths etc.

northernstar007

SensibleNotTight said:

Thanks for this - I've often wondered if we'd be better off without a meter, looks like the answer may be "no". There are 2 of us but we are generally fairly careful with what we use, have showers rather than baths etc.

give your water co a call as they will see how much you use and will tell you straightaway over the phone if it would be cheaper being on the fixed rates, i do spend 10mins easy in the shower 1 of my little luxurys 
its just nice to have it confirmed to see how much you save 

DullGreyGuy

Water authorities I've dealt with have water meter, those who cannot have a water meter and those who chose not to have a water meter. 

You would need to have very high consumption for the water meter to be more expensive than the refusing to have a meter rate... more 50/50 for those that cannot have a meter. For those that currently have a meter they clearly won't be able to convince their WA that they fit in the middle bucket by the fact they already have one. Clearly the pricing is there to drive people who can have a meter to have one and then the behaviour that PAYG has on usage. 

matelodave

We've been on a water meter for over 30 years and although I dont know what our RV is, even the fixed charge on RV is twice the cost of what we pay (£400 on a meter or £900+the RV charge).

There are two of us and we have an automatic garden watering system in operation from April to September and I wash two cars and a caravan several times a year.

TBH being on a water meter is a no brainer unless you've got several teenage daughters who spend half their time in the bathroom

Brie

Don't forget as well that if you have a need to use a LOT of water (toileting issues due to disability etc) then the water companies will normally cap your bills to that similar to someone who uses a normal amount of water.  You may need to provide some proof but it may help out a bit.   When in doubt - ask!

400ixl

Once you have a meter, you can't go back can you? So only worth knowing if you aren't already on a meter.

matelodave

You can usually try a water meter for a year to see if it saves you money and then revert if you dont. Check with your water company to check their policy.

freesha

If you have been on a meter for some time, you will not be able to go back to RV.

hareng

Theres 3 of us, one works away 5 nights barely here.

Until October 2023 was paying £89.60 per month and went up in 2024 x amount.

Change to a smarty meter on foot path saw it come down to £18.60 per month.
2024 there was a big hike and currently pay £25.40 per month that would be well in to £100 on RV.