Meter or No Meter?

DilbertJones

I have just bought my own house, it has a un-metered supply, I moved from a flat which had a metered supply.

My Flat didn't have a bath or a washing machine, & i was paying around £160-£200 per year (I think)

Now Welsh water tell me I will be paying £360 per year for my un-metered supply, do i wish to change to a meter?

My house has a bath & a washing machine, & we have a little baby due very shortly.

Apart from the washing machine - & My G/F's baths I cant see our water usage go up too much.

What do you guys think will benefit me most?

Stompa

You could try having a meter fitted and see how it works out.

According to Ofwat:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/free_water_meters

"Since 1 April 2000, the Water Industry Act 1999 gave all household customers the right to opt for a meter free of installation charges. If customers opt for a meter they can revert to an unmeasured charge up to one month after the issue of the bill detailing the consumption after 12 months."

so you could revert back to unmetered if necessary.

Stompa

DilbertJones

interesting, might just do that

Rikki

Your unmetered water bill is based on ratable value of the property and will be fixed each year. If you have the meter for the year you will see if you will save money .If not go back to an unmetered bill.
Worth checking about soak aways. ie rain water down the drain pipes, if they are not conected to the drain system you don't pay for that service. Some water boards charge regardless and you have to inform them. I would ask them and get them to check.

DilbertJones

not quite sure what you mean by soak aways..

can you end up paying for rain water to be drained from your home???

trace-j

I heard Water Meters will eventually become mandatory in water scarse areas?

My old uni lecturer used to bang on about how paying for unmetered water for him and his wife when his kids left home was a waste of money, false economy. So took the plunge and got a water meter installed.

A couple of years later I asked him how he was getting on, he's completey changed his tune. He hates it wishes he never had it installed, his bills have gone up not down.

Perhaps you could try and work out how much water you use in a week and compare the cost of having it metered with your monthly fee. If you have any leaks in your system, known dripping taps/loos or unknown ones, it will meter these as well.

froggy27_2

I'm not sure about welsh water but i can say that i changed to a water meter (thames water) few months ago and received the bill and was pleasantly surprised.. almost 1/3 of what i was paying. 2 adults and 1 toddler here.. so i'm really happy i did the switch.

Rikki

robodan wrote:

not quite sure what you mean by soak aways..

can you end up paying for rain water to be drained from your home???

Yes. If it goes to a soak away.These are put in on most new housing estates you don't pay, but if it goes into the waste drains you have to pay.

uncle_buck_3

Stompa wrote:

You could try having a meter fitted and see how it works out.

According to Ofwat:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/free_water_meters

"Since 1 April 2000, the Water Industry Act 1999 gave all household customers the right to opt for a meter free of installation charges. If customers opt for a meter they can revert to an unmeasured charge up to one month after the issue of the bill detailing the consumption after 12 months."

so you could revert back to unmetered if necessary.

Stompa

Yeah that’s how it works with our water supplier (Northumbrian Water)

However are you aware that if you sell your house the new owner has no choice but to be metered!
Be aware that this could put off potential buyers.

lin473

I changed to a water meter years ago,in the days when you even had to pay to do it.This was beacause in a D banded council tax house we were paying a lot for water,and I did some sums and found that we would save by doing so.I was right,and it paid for itself in the first year,even though we were a family of EIGHT at the time!
We are sensible with water usage,and do not waste it as it is like throwing our money away if we do,but that is exactly why water meters are such a good thing -water is a scarce resource these days.
We also have 4 water butts in our garden,as we grow all our own vegetables and use a lot in watering.
I would say go for it - if you are not wasteful,you will not be out of pocket.

uncle_buck_3

lin473 wrote:

.....water meters are such a good thing -water is a scarce resource these days….

Would you care to explain how water is so scarce these days & where you got this fact from?

If we believe what the government / scientists are telling us with regards to global warming & the melting ice caps there is in fact more water available now than ever!