Water meters - pros and cons?

Gothicfairy · 17 September 2010 at 12:30PM

Have you tried a flow test ? Are you 100% sure nothing your side of the meter is leaking , as to record flow the water has to be going through the meter and if the meter is internal them YW is correct about it being down to you.

Have you checked the meter readings on the bills ?

I am not sure about your water system for the greenhouse as there is nothing a water company could ask to get that sort of info other then hours of hosepipe use but if you did not include that then they would not be able to give you a correct idea.Have you checked the meter whilst this system is working ?

I am really not sure what you are angry about ? They ask you questions about your usage and should tell you that any figure given is only based on those replies and that clearly you are using more then they expected. Hardly their fault.
I think you need to work out what is using the water and checking the meter will help with that

diamond_dave · 23 September 2010 at 6:40PM

We had our wm fitted exactly 6 months ago and guess what our water bills have gone down from £930 pa on RV to £320 on the meter! 3 adults in the house using SW water as supplier - and although we are careful we dont do without anything. It really makes you realise how much water we all use. I check the meter every couple of weeks just in case there is a leak. Being in Cornwall we get our fair share of rain so I need to get more water butts.

themull1 · 23 September 2010 at 7:40PM

i had a water meter years ago when i was married, and the bills were more than i pay now. i would never go onto a meter voluntarily.

chocolatetabby · 23 September 2010 at 10:16PM

I have paid up to £600 per year with a meter!!!

scazmissie · 25 September 2010 at 1:58PM

I work in the billing department for Thames Water and Im going to give you some general advice but please be aware that the policies Im stating are Thames' so check with your provided to ensure they offer the same. If you apply to have a water meter fitted via the optional metering route it is free of charge and can take up to 3mths from the reciptof your application to the date you have your meter fitted. In this period they will get a contractor to survey your property to ensure that a meter can be fitted. If at this stage it can a date is arrangedfor the meter to be fitted and you are charge on the current rate Ie Rateable value to the date that your meter is fitted and then you will be charged on your current water consumption plus the standing charges having the meter.
Currently the fixed charges on RV properties is 63 pounds per year and the water meter fixed charges are 73 these were actioned and approved by oftwat starting the billing year april 2010. From the date you have your water meter fitted you have a 13mth period and this is deadlock so be aware. You can decided to request to be reverted back to the rv in this 13mth period if you feel that you are not making savings. This only applys to people who have requested the meter to be fitted via the optional metering route and does not apply to people who move into a property that has a meter so check before you buy/rent by ringing the water board and giving the property detials to find the water charges on the property.
Now there is always the possibilty that a water meter cannot be fitted in your property due to for example a flat may have a shared supply to next door so they could not actually correctlly mointor the full water usage. So on the date of the survey of your property is deemed unmeterable then you have this option. THIS TARRIF IS ONLY APPLICABLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNMETERABLE VIA THE OPTIONAL METERING ROUTE ONLY!!!!
A tarrif was introduced a few years ago for people who when requesting a meter in this way and were deemed unmeterable had a lower option appilied. This tarrif is know as the assesed household charge and there are set charges for single people the it is based on the number of bedrooms in the property.
My personal opinion I hate water meters and would never want one in my property however if you live on your own then yes if your rv bill is over 300 per year a meter would benefit you. However be a ware that if the pipe work ever is damaged or a leak your pipework is your liabilty and so get insurance for your pipework as this is normally not covered in your home insurance. Hopefully this will give you the information you need to make a decision.

scazmissie · 25 September 2010 at 2:03PM

The rateable value was set by the inland revenue when the ulititlites were privatised and they werefixedin the early 90's. They took into consideration the area, letting potential, value, how may bedrooms, windows, viewsect. No two properties have the same rv tthat is why water companies offer meters to customers.

Gothicfairy · 25 September 2010 at 2:07PM

scazmissie wrote: »

The rateable value was set by the inland revenue when the ulititlites were privatised and they werefixedin the early 90's. They took into consideration the area, letting potential, value, how may bedrooms, windows, viewsect. No two properties have the same rv tthat is why water companies offer meters to customers.

The RV of properties actually comes from anywhere between 1970 and 1989. The last review was 1990 but that was not everwhere and every property so there is every chance your RV is based on how the property looked in 1974 etc.
it is also not totally true to say no 2 properties have the same RV, if they were in the same state when viewed they could well be the same now no matter how much nicer or not one is.
Meters are offered as part of the government scheme and really don't have a great deal to do with RV's as even if everyone was on assessed they would still want meters. It is a fairer way of charging for most .

Gothicfairy · 25 September 2010 at 2:14PM

scazmissie wrote: »

I work in the billing department for Thames Water and Im going to give you some general advice but please be aware that the policies Im stating are Thames' so check with your provided to ensure they offer the same. If you apply to have a water meter fitted via the optional metering route it is free All domestic meters are free with every company..at the moment. of charge and can take up to 3mths Or longer but they do have to give you a discount if it takes past their agreed date from the reciptof your application to the date you have your meter fitted. In this period they will get a contractor to survey your property to ensure that a meter can be fitted. If at this stage it can a date is arrangedfor the meter to be fitted and you are charge on the current rate Ie Rateable value to the date that your meter is fitted and then you will be charged on your current water consumption plus the standing charges having the meter.
Currently the fixed charges on RV properties is 63 pounds per year what fixed charge are you talking about ? There is no standing charge with RV or do you mean SWD ?and the water meter fixed charges are 73 these were actioned and approved by oftwat starting the billing year april 2010. From the date you have your water meter fitted you have a 13mth period and this is deadlock so be aware. You can decided to request to be reverted back to the rv in this 13mth period if you feel that you are not making savings. This only applys to people who have requested the meter to be fitted via the optional metering route and does not apply to people who move into a property that has a meter so check before you buy/rent by ringing the water board and giving the property detials to find the water charges on the property.
Now there is always the possibilty that a water meter cannot be fitted in your property due to for example a flat may have a shared supply to next door so they could not actually correctlly mointor the full water usage. So on the date of the survey of your property is deemed unmeterable then you have this option. THIS TARRIF IS ONLY APPLICABLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNMETERABLE VIA THE OPTIONAL METERING ROUTE ONLY!!!!
A tarrif was introduced a few years ( some companies have been offering assessed for 20 years now and I do think thames is one of them but I could be wrong..That does not mean though if you move into a property with an assessed charge that you can not have a meter fitted so still apply as things might well have changed since then visit) ago for people who when requesting a meter in this way and were deemed unmeterable had a lower option appilied. This tarrif is know as the assesed household charge and there are set charges for single people the it is based on the number of bedrooms in the property. Some companies do not offer a single assessed charge so make sure you check.
My personal opinion I hate water meters and would never want one in my property however if you live on your own then yes if your rv bill is over 300 per year a meter would benefit you (MIGHT benefit as it all depends on how much water you use, I know single people who use more then a family of 4 ). However be a ware that if the pipe work ever is damaged or a leak your pipework is your liabilty ( if it is your pipework you are liable anyway but you would have to pay for your water bill too unless you could get an allowance or adjustment) and so get insurance for your pipework as this is normally not covered in your home insurance. Hopefully this will give you the information you need to make a decision.

I do think most of this has been covered a million times or more by now but the main thing is call your company and ask them to go through it with you..They are the ones that will have the info and be able to advise you.

scazmissie · 25 September 2010 at 2:18PM

I have yet to find two properties that have the same rateable value so you could have 2 idential properties but two different rates, this is a common problem that I hear everyday from neighbours discussing their water bills, but your are right there very well may be. The water meters have been introduced as the rv is being pushed out and water meters are how the water boards want to bill their customers. The RV was introduced as when the water companies were privatised they wanted to fit meters in all households in the uk and at this stage the public went barmy as there were familes with 6 or 7 children who did not want watermeters inforced so the RV was set as an alternative for this.

scazmissie · 25 September 2010 at 2:20PM

the tarrif I was refering too that was introduced a few years ago was the single person occupier tarrif that has been added to the assed household charge my apologies for not making that clear.

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