Hi, I got a letter from Thames Water on Thursday. They said that they want to install a water meter onto my incoming water supply.
Is anyone else having their's fitted, or does anyone have a water meter installed already. What are the pros or cons? Will my water usage be more expensive?
Does the water meter work as a filter too? Will the water taste any different?
Water Meter
Re: Water Meter
Hi. As far as I know, water meters are not yet obligatory except in some areas. Thames Water's website is encouragement rather than no choice, so I'd say you can refuse if you don't want one. No doubt they'll be obligatory eventually.
I have a meter, no choice as it was installed before I moved in. At one time you could agree to a meter being fitted and change your mind within a year, but I've no idea if that is still the case.
It's true that some people use water less wastefully knowing every drop is being charged for, being another cost to worry about every time a tap is turned on. As to water charges, who knows? The water companies want to promote meters so might charge less, but mainly I suspect because the charge is then transparent for OfWat monitoring, whereas an estimated average usage charge for non-metered customers is not check-able. It tends to be said that if you use little water anyway, you'd gain from a meter.
A water meter will have no effect on the water delivered at all. It merely records the throughput.
HTH
I have a meter, no choice as it was installed before I moved in. At one time you could agree to a meter being fitted and change your mind within a year, but I've no idea if that is still the case.
It's true that some people use water less wastefully knowing every drop is being charged for, being another cost to worry about every time a tap is turned on. As to water charges, who knows? The water companies want to promote meters so might charge less, but mainly I suspect because the charge is then transparent for OfWat monitoring, whereas an estimated average usage charge for non-metered customers is not check-able. It tends to be said that if you use little water anyway, you'd gain from a meter.
A water meter will have no effect on the water delivered at all. It merely records the throughput.
HTH
Re: Water Meter
My bills are much cheaper since I had my meter installed.
Re: Water Meter
I've known people who have seen their bill triple on a meter and others halve it.
Too many variables to say yes it's cheaper or dearer.
No you don't have to have a meter. http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/official- ... ompulsory/
They can't fit one at my place due to shared water supply and a few other reasons so they offered to cut my bill in half instead
Too many variables to say yes it's cheaper or dearer.
No you don't have to have a meter. http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/official- ... ompulsory/
They can't fit one at my place due to shared water supply and a few other reasons so they offered to cut my bill in half instead
Re: Water Meter
You're not compelled to have a Smart meter (that is, one that records your information remotely). Thames Water now only installs Smart meters, so you'll probably be stuck with one if you don't already have a meter and agree to have a meter installed.Tadpole wrote:I've known people who have seen their bill triple on a meter and others halve it.
Too many variables to say yes it's cheaper or dearer.
No you don't have to have a meter. http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/official- ... ompulsory/
They can't fit one at my place due to shared water supply and a few other reasons so they offered to cut my bill in half instead
We have a water meter, but dont use it. The water company sneakily installed it without asking when they repaired an undrrground leak in the garden. (I was quite shocked to discover the incoming supply was from an old lead pipe. Thames Water said this was quite common.) They put that meter at the bottom of the drive, way away from our household stop cock, and shifting responsibility for underground leaks from them to us. Last year they tried to replace that almost new water meter with a Smart meter. We just said no.
Depending on lifestyle I believe metering can be more expensive, especially as the Council insist we wash containers, bottles, etc before recycling. It used to be a joke that Hyacinth Bucket put her milk bottles in the dishwasher before putting them out, but now we have to wash our gin bottles before putting them in the recycling bin! Shame about wasting water.
There's a calculator here that might help you decide.
https://www.ccwater.org.uk/watermetercalculator/
Last edited by marymck on 4 Dec 2017 11:35, edited 2 times in total.
-
Robin Orton
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: 9 Sep 2008 07:30
- Location: London SE26
Re: Water Meter
Doesn't it very much depend on how big your house and your household are? if you live alone in a big house, I'd have thought getting a meter was a no-brainer. If you've got a large family and live in a small house or flat, you'd probably do best sticking to the old system.
-
Hissing Syd
- Posts: 118
- Joined: 7 May 2012 15:09
- Location: Sydenham
Re: Water Meter
I'm really interested to read about it not being compulsory to accept these. We had Water Meters forced on us in our road over the summer. Although I tried to insist to Thames Water that we did not want one for our house, I was told we had no choice in the matter, as the meter was located in the street (ie not on our property), and Lewisham Council had given the company permission, therefore they could do what they wanted, regardless of residents' wishes.
I gave up at that point - we've been told we have two years to choose to convert to the new meters, after which if we haven't chosen to do so then we'll be forced to anyway. Shades of 1984...
If this is not the case then I'd love to hear more. We're very careful with water, but really hate to have been given no choice in this, and the idea of Lewisham Council giving Thames Water permission to do it, taking the matter out of residents' hands, was pretty infuriating too. Though as I say - if this information was incorrect, then I'd love to know.
I gave up at that point - we've been told we have two years to choose to convert to the new meters, after which if we haven't chosen to do so then we'll be forced to anyway. Shades of 1984...
If this is not the case then I'd love to hear more. We're very careful with water, but really hate to have been given no choice in this, and the idea of Lewisham Council giving Thames Water permission to do it, taking the matter out of residents' hands, was pretty infuriating too. Though as I say - if this information was incorrect, then I'd love to know.
Re: Water Meter
It used to be that maintenance of water pipes was to the building edge - so a leak in the garden would be repaired by Thames Water, even though it's on private property. that changed, so that now maintenance responsibility lies with property owner, so you are responsible for water pipes in your building, and up the property boundary - usually back edge of footway.
Thames Water can do what they like with the supply pipes outside of your property, and they only need permission from the council as it's public highway that they have to do the work on.
Most people already know about using water more responsibly, and therefore will probably save money on a metered supply. if you currently live in a small house, but have many people living there, and all take baths every night, and wash all of your clothes after only one wearing, and leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, and take 20 minute showers, and water all of your plants from the tap (rather than using a rain water butt on your downpipe), and refill the kettle to full every time you boil it, and flush the toilet twice every time you use it, etc, etc, etc, then you're probably using far more water then they estimate, and you'll pay more on a meter.
I'm sure that by the time they become compulsory there will be an organisation set up to persuade people that it's an infringement on your human right to potable water, and that the smart meters don't measure the water properly, and that the plastic they're made from is burning a whole in the ozone, and the smart meters are easily hackable, and your data's not protected, etc, etc. so you might not have to get one.
Thames Water can do what they like with the supply pipes outside of your property, and they only need permission from the council as it's public highway that they have to do the work on.
Most people already know about using water more responsibly, and therefore will probably save money on a metered supply. if you currently live in a small house, but have many people living there, and all take baths every night, and wash all of your clothes after only one wearing, and leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, and take 20 minute showers, and water all of your plants from the tap (rather than using a rain water butt on your downpipe), and refill the kettle to full every time you boil it, and flush the toilet twice every time you use it, etc, etc, etc, then you're probably using far more water then they estimate, and you'll pay more on a meter.
I'm sure that by the time they become compulsory there will be an organisation set up to persuade people that it's an infringement on your human right to potable water, and that the smart meters don't measure the water properly, and that the plastic they're made from is burning a whole in the ozone, and the smart meters are easily hackable, and your data's not protected, etc, etc. so you might not have to get one.
Re: Water Meter
In an area like Sydenham, with its Victorian housing stock and lead supply pipes it's upsetting, though par for the course with today's profit focused utilities companies, to find ourselves responsible for aged, long neglected and leaky lead pipes. Fair enough if Thames Water replaced the supply pipes with new ones and then said we were responsible for future repairs. But to expect individual households to pay for the water company's years of neglecting infrastructure is a bit rich.
As it happens, I used to live on a boat and there's nothing like the weekly trip to refill water tanks and pump out the loo for making one frugal with water. That's largely why I object to the totally unnecessary and wasteful washing of containers and bottles before putting them in the recycling bin.
As it happens, I used to live on a boat and there's nothing like the weekly trip to refill water tanks and pump out the loo for making one frugal with water. That's largely why I object to the totally unnecessary and wasteful washing of containers and bottles before putting them in the recycling bin.
Re: Water Meter
If you are a single occupant, you're entitled to a reduced rate from Thames Water, BTW.
Re: Water Meter
How..........why..........???alywin wrote:If you are a single occupant, you're entitled to a reduced rate from Thames Water, BTW.