Cheaper Water Bills Article Discussion

It says in the article that having a water meter may effect your house price when you sell your house. However, in my experience when i moved house last August I was told by the water company that I had to have a water metter fitted.

Apparently, they say, anyone moving into a house now must have a water meter fitted - This was Southern Water, but they said it was a nationwide regulation that this should happen.

So, if that is true, then it should not effect your house price.

Please explain, someone. Martin has cost of Dwr Cymru metered cost for 1 in 4 bedroomed house at £153. How come I as single in 2 bedroomed bungalow pays £192?

Hi Archna,
I have found out some more information now, for all Southern Water customers in Sussex they automatically install a meter whenever there is a change of customer, ie a house move, they say in their leaflet:
"In Sussex, we are further managing
From what they said to me it is compulsory, and there is no way out of it. They installed the meter a couple of days after I moved in. I was sent a letter one day and it was installed the next, before I even had a chance to query it. Perhaps this just applies to Sussex for now? It is certainly not very well advertised on Southern Waters website.

MSE_Archna wrote: »

Hi markmas,

You shouldn't have to have a water meter fitted if you're moving house. However there is talk of making water meters compulsory in areas that are water stressed - Southern Water being one of them. But this is some way off yet.

Also if you are moving into a house that already has a water meter fitted you are unfortunately stuck with it.

MSE Archna,

I believe you are not correct in a couple of points you make.

Firstly I believe that all water companies can insist that a meter is fitted when there is a change in customer.

Some companies enforce that regulation 100% and others don't bother. There have been many posts on this subject i.e. where meters were fitted without being requested.

Secondly Surface water drainage charges can be considerably more than the £20-£40 you state as typical. In Severn Trent a semi is £53 and a detached property £80.

They can also charge for surface water drainage as a levy on each £1 of Rateable Value even though it has a meter fitted. For instance for my metered property this is 35.72p per £1 of RV. As my house has an RV of £700 this is a charge of over £250. You can elect for the fixed charge of £80 but unless you do elect, you will be charged as a levy on the RV.

Incidentally had I been still assessed for all charges on my RV I would be paying over £1,300 - about £900 more than I pay on a meter.

Water Companies have no way of changing the Rateable Value even for a whole area. RV was based on the notional rent a property could command and took into account size, land, facilities in the house(CH - bathrooms etc) location.

It is highly likely that all houses built in the last 20 years or so will have a soakaway, you would not normally be allowed to build without one.

It is also pertinent to point out, that having established that you are not liable for surface water charges, it is not unknown for water companies to reinstate the charge for new occupants of the same property!! Again posted on this forum.