Having a water meter fitted in your home is the fairest way to pay for your water usage – as you pay for exactly what you use. You’ll also be able to identify a leak much quicker, as your water bill will be unusually high (don’t worry, you’ll be refunded if there’s a leak!). They’re also important for our water supplies as people with water meters tend to be more careful with their water usage.
Rateable Value
If you don’t have a water meter, the chances are that your water bills are being calculated via the rateable value of your property as of 31st March, 1990. Your rateable value is based on how much your property would charge for rent in the private market. Every property was assessed pre-1973 but between 1973 and 1990 only new builds were taking into account. So your water bill may be calculated on how much your property could charge in rent pre-1990, which doesn’t sound right! This is a strange way of calculating your bill as their could be only two people living in a large property – paying for the estimated usage of a large family! Since then, all properties have been fitted with a water meter.
Savings
Water meters have been estimated to save up to ¼ of your households bills, presumably just the presence of the meter encourages you to use less – while still being a fairer way to charge.
More than ¼ of leaks happen beneath your driveway or garden and can often go undetected. A water meter will help identify this as it will show continues water usage at your property. Water suppliers will usually fix this leaks for free.
Is a water meter right for you?
There’s a quick way to work out if a water meter is right for you. Are there more or the same number of people than rooms in your house? If so, it’s worth considering getting a water meter fitted. If you have more rooms than people in your house, it may not be cost efficient but worth investigating anyway.
The great thing about switching to a water meter is that if you see that it’s costing you more than your previous water bills, you have the right to switch back within a year. So if you’ve had a water meter recently fitted and think “wow, my bills have gone up!”, call your water supplier and ask to be charged on your rateable value. Simples.