Water meters?

We've just arranged to have ours fitted - its just the 2 of us (but soon to be 3) in a 3 bed house and we are looking to possibly 1/2 our bill.

It wouldn't have put me off buying a house if it had a meter fitted to be honest. And all new houses have them fitted now anyway.

If I were you I'd just go for it.

We're looking into getting on at the moment - there are 3 of us in a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house and it will save us about 1/3 on what we are paying now.

The Environment Agency are suggesting everyone should get one anyway so you've got nothing to lose - http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/38565.aspx

First of all, you will probably save money as a sole occupant if you get a meter fitted. Most of the water companies have on-line calculators you can use to guestimate how much water you use, and how muich £££ you can save.

I've never known anyone refuse to buy a property becuase it has a meter fitted. All mew homes are built with them as 'standard' and many water companies are intricucing them more and more to older properties - for example, fitting them at change of occupancy.

I really wouldn't worry about it - if it suits you and saves you money, then go for it.

Just do it. My Mum is living alone in a 4 bed house and she just swapped. She's saving £70 a month!! I read somewhere (forget where, or I'd find you a link) that all properties will be metered eventually anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about resale.

We had a meter fitted last week. There's just the 2 of us in a 5 bedroom house so I'm hoping to save around 60%.

To be honest, it never even occured to me to think about anyone moving in after we sell.

I'd do it and save the money now.

Thanks. I hadn't realised that all new houses had them fitted as standard now anyway, although I had read recently about them possibly becoming mandatory in some water deprived areas.

I think I'll go for it....I could do with a new showerhead anyway, and have just selected an eco one which will help.

Thanks.

Remember though if you dont get on with it or dont save money the water company will always swap you back so it isnt necessarily a permanant move

good luck with it and let us know how you get on

We had a meter installed in this house when we moved in as there is only the two of us living here. Also the water company charge a lower cubic rate for houses on a meter than those unmetered. So we changed to metered supply and its saved us money.

Now new houses are built with a meter automatically and to encourage people to change their supply meters are being installed free of charge too. ?

We're a family of four and we moved from an unmetered property to a metered one about 3 years ago. It still works out cheaper for us than when we paid water rates and we use a lot of water.

Slight hijack of this thread, but how much are people's water bills. We're not metered and pay £20 a month April -Nov, so £160 a year. Surely you'd be hard pushed to save anything on that with a meter?
? @Mel's mum's saving!

We had a meter fitted a couple of years ago and now we have MissSun our bill is drastically cheaper than it was when we didn't have it. If it makes you feel any better my BIL, who has a wife and 3 children, still pays less on a meter than we did when we weren't on a meter IYSWIM. I really wouldn't worry.

I know. She was paying just shy of £900 annually and is now paying £5 a month! She only changed because the elderly couple living next door both died recently and she happened to be in the garden when the water guy came out to their bungalow. He commented that her rates must be high and she told him, then said she was living alone, and he told her she would definitely save money by switching. She still can't believe she's only paying £5pcm!! That'll go up when H and I move in at the end of July though...

We were paying £38 a month over 8 months so £304 a year.

Now we pay £17 a month over 12 months so £204, saving £100. We're in credit though so i'm expecting a reduction when the next reading is taken.

Just to reply to the question about current water bills...mine will be £45.45 a month over 10 months for 2009/10 - that's water and sewerage in a joint bill. The online calculators are coming up with £366 or £324 a year...(depends on if I use the water company, or the sewerage company calculator) so the average is £340 so £34 a month, so saving £11 a month.

I think my water use will reduce too once I know I only pay for what I use.

I think you'll probably find it's less than £34 a month once it's installed. Those online calculators and the ones Severn Trent have in their leaflets over-estimate IMHO, both said that we'd be better off without a meter. When the fitter came he said that rarely were meters dearer. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ours is just under £83 per month over 10 months which is ridiculous. The online calculator estimated around £40 per month (and that was with me over estimating the amount of time we use the hose in the garden) so I hope we save up to £450 per year.

Blimey Michpuss, that's enormous.

I know - think of all the shoes and handbags things for the house that I will be able to buy!

We have a meter, our bills are £19 a month. we dont ever have baths, but use the dishwasher most days, and the washer about once a week, sometimes twice

On rates we were paying £32 a month, there are two adults and a baby, and with a water meter it dropped to £12 a month (was £9 before the baby)! We use a reasonable amount of water - washing machine is on every day, dishwasher three times a week, regular showers, baby has a bath every night (only a couple of inches of water), and we're still saving compared to before.

That's just for the water supply, a different company does the sewerage, and that dropped as well - from £27 a month to £18 - there's less of a difference there because more of it is standing charges rather than actual usage.