Water meters - pros and cons?

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  • mongmoney
    mongmoney Posts: 174
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    Evening All,
    A friend of mine has suggested getting a water meter, but I wondered what kind of experience anyone on here has had with Severn Trent?
    I live alone in a 3 bed house.
    All advice appreciated.
    Mongy
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  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    mongmoney wrote: »
    Evening All,
    A friend of mine has suggested getting a water meter, but I wondered what kind of experience anyone on here has had with Severn Trent?
    I live alone in a 3 bed house.
    All advice appreciated.
    Mongy

    Almost certainly you will save loads.

    However if you don't find it saves you money, you have 12 months to change back to your current charging system.
  • bristol_pilot
    bristol_pilot Posts: 2,235 Forumite
    As you live alone you will probably save a bit on water bills. But this will be nothing compared to the decrease in value of your property - family buyers are put off by water meters.
  • shelly
    shelly Posts: 6,394
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    As you live alone you will probably save a bit on water bills. But this will be nothing compared to the decrease in value of your property - family buyers are put off by water meters.

    My info might be out of date but I thought that when a house is sold these days a water meter is installed regardless whether or not the new buyer wants it, so already having one in place would make no difference?

    Very happy to be corrected if wrong though :)
  • Gothicfairy
    Gothicfairy Posts: 3,060 Forumite
    edited 10 January 2011 at 10:08AM
    shelly wrote: »
    My info might be out of date but I thought that when a house is sold these days a water meter is installed regardless whether or not the new buyer wants it, so already having one in place would make no difference?

    Very happy to be corrected if wrong though :)


    Depends on the water company..Severn trent don't don't do this for sure and there are others that don't bother either.

    *Cardew: Mongy's RV is really really low ..to a point where I am honestly not sure a meter would be better what with standing charges and SWD.

    The above is for Cardew only really as most people do get a cheaper rate on a meter and it is worth trying for the 12 + months anyway.

    * not as low as I thought as I was not paying attention when I read their PM. My bad but as this had been quoted below and replied to I did not want to change the whole post and make it look odd.
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  • Gothicfairy
    Gothicfairy Posts: 3,060 Forumite
    As you live alone you will probably save a bit on water bills. But this will be nothing compared to the decrease in value of your property - family buyers are put off by water meters.


    This really does depend on the area..Some water companies meter on new occupier anyway.
    Some don't but it is pot luck at the moment as to be honest give it 10 years and I should think we will all be metered.
    There is a race of men that don't fit in; A race that can't stand still;
    So they break the hearts of kith and kin, and roam the world at will.

    Robert Service
  • themull1
    themull1 Posts: 4,299 Forumite
    i wouldnt get one voluntarily, my family use a lot of water, and i know we would get charged more if we had a meter.
  • mcc100
    mcc100 Posts: 623
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    edited 7 January 2011 at 10:35PM
    Cardew: Mongy's RV is really really low ..to a point where I am honestly not sure a meter would be better what with standing charges and SWD.

    Gothicfairy ..... how do you know that Mongy's RV is really really low when, as far as I can see, he has given no indication of his exact address ?

    Unless all properties in Leicester have really low RV's.
  • Gothicfairy
    Gothicfairy Posts: 3,060 Forumite
    edited 10 January 2011 at 10:07AM
    He/ she PM'd me and gave me some futher details ( also the area they live in does indeed have low RV's as well, like mine. It is normal for some parts of the city)

    As they are on a low RV( not as low as I thought as I was not paying attention when I read their PM) it might be that they are not better off on a meter but that is not normally the case and I would suggest giving it a go for the 12 months anyway depending on the standing charges and SWD though
    There is a race of men that don't fit in; A race that can't stand still;
    So they break the hearts of kith and kin, and roam the world at will.

    Robert Service
  • Water meters are unfair because (unlike gas and electricity) they are installed on the public highway rather than at your property. So what if a pipe bursts or leaks between the meter and your home, spewing out thousands of gallons of water? Trust me, I've seen this happen. Fortunately the property owner wasn't metered - but Heaven help him if he had been. You may save £50 to £100 by installing a water meter, but if an outside pipe bursts or leaks you would become liable for a small fortune :(
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