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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want a water meter?

81 replies

twolittleboysonetiredmum · 11/02/2016 17:33

DH thinks so and I'd be interested in other people's opinions/experiences. We moved fairly recently into a 4 bed detached from a 2 bed terrace. We paid £18 per mth and they want to increase it to 60. The house is worth approx double the two bed terrace so why would the rate value be triple? I think it would be cheaper to get a meter wouldn't it? Our usage hasn't actually changed as we have small can not independent teens using showers etc so AIBU?

OP posts:
Lonecatwithkitten · 11/02/2016 17:53

My last water bill for two adults and one 12 year old in a four bed with 8kg washing machine and dishwasher £190 for six months on a water meter with Thanes water. There are huge differences between water companies so you need to compare to your own water company.

tinyterrors · 11/02/2016 17:58

The difference will be due to the water company using the average amount of water used for your type of property rather than the number/age of those in it.

You'd more than likely save money with a meter but there's no way of knowing for sure unless you get one installed.

Chattymummyhere · 11/02/2016 18:12

We pay £66 per month on a three bed house with Anglian water.

londonrach · 11/02/2016 18:14

Be careful what you wish for. Rented flat two people £190 for 6 months on a meter and no garden! We out most of the day and dont use that much water. Last rented flat no water metre and around £20 per month.

mizu · 11/02/2016 18:14

Hmm, not sure. We used to live in a 2 bed semi and paid £27 a month to Severn Trent.

Moved last year into a 2 bed flat which has a water meter and our bill is now massive. We pay £40 a month and any day now I'm expecting the bill through the door and it will tell us we owe them more. We paid one last year and it was triple what we used to pay.

jonquil1 · 11/02/2016 18:14

We're with Severn Trent and you can have a meter fitted then switch back within (possibly*) the first year, no charge, so if your supplier does similar, there's nothing to lose, really, by giving it a go.

  • think that's right.
KinkyAfro · 11/02/2016 18:15

We on a meter, 3 bed house, and we pay £25/month and get regular refunds

londonrach · 11/02/2016 18:16

Jonquil. Not sure thats true now. Certainly not in my area. From memory once you have a meter you stuck with it! Op check in your area to make sure.

Bastardshittits · 11/02/2016 18:24

We used to rent a huge house where the water rates were £27 month, we then moved to an ex-LA house a couple of miles down the road but in the same town, water rates were £48 a month. We moved again when we bought our current house and there was a water meter already installed so we couldn't remove it. Due to not really realising how much water we actually used we ended up paying £95 a month until the debt was cleared. We now pay about £45. I would never choose to have one. There are 2 adults and 3 kids in our family.

TwoLittleBlooms · 11/02/2016 18:31

I am not on a meter and currently only pay about £20 a month - there are 2 adults, one teenager and baby, I have the washing machine on twice a day (we use cloth nappies). I would never willingly have a water meter installed.

Moving15 · 11/02/2016 18:38

We had a metre in our old house under Thames water. We paid around 500 a year, 2 adults 2 children. We have moved into a larger unmetered property and our bill is lower. Yippee. I won't be changing that!

SquinkiesRule · 11/02/2016 18:43

I was discussing this we the neighbors recently. We have a meter, pay £45 a month for water. Three adults, three showers a day, one child showers every other, washing machine on daily, and no dishwasher.
Neighbors have no meter, pay £30 a month, two adults showers daily, dishwasher on every other day, and washing machine 2 or 3 times a week.
She thinks they would save with a meter, I'm not sure about that.

jevoudrais · 11/02/2016 18:47

Two adults and we pay £35 a month (including sewerage) on a meter. This is with Anglian Water. My Mum is with Thames Water and they rob her blind in comparison. She lives alone and pays £80 a month.

Original poster
twolittleboysonetiredmum · 11/02/2016 18:47

Hmm interesting thanks. We're 2 adults, 2 toddlers and a baby so lots of washing and dishwashers. Maybe it was very cheap at our smaller house. I just don't think our usage has changed that much. You can test run a meter but I'm not so sure now after your replies...

OP posts:
Chippednailvarnish · 11/02/2016 18:51

Three bedroom house, 2 adults, 2 kids, no meter and we pay £250 every 6 months.

I dread to think what a meter would cost especially when next door fill up their paddling pool

southwest1 · 11/02/2016 19:00

I live on my own, have showers as no bath, washing machine once a week, and I pay £120 a year on a meter with Thames Water. The unmetered rates were almost £40 a month so a save a fortune.

Etak15 · 11/02/2016 19:00

When we moved to current house Yorkshire water wanted to charge us about £90 a month water rates!!! I was gobsmacked we had a meter in previous house and bills were only £60 per quarter so we had a Meter fitted, our bill averages about £80 a quarter now that's for 6 of us washing machine and dishwasher daily so a Massive saving for us on the ridiculous rates, I would recommend anyone to get a meter, (unless your water rates are really cheap) Yorkshire water allow you to change your mind after a year if you want to go back to rates, I won't be! Londonrach - maybe you've got a leak somewhere you don't know about? - or your neighbours have tapped into your supply Wink
Also if you do change to a meter they will still try and sign you up for a monthly direct debit of some ludicrous amount (like they wanted £60 a month from me) tell them you'll pay on invoice.

londonrach · 11/02/2016 19:09

Etak...i suspect no one hAs read the metre ever as its buried under dirt and i cant get into it. Im going to get the estate agent to take the reading when we leave! That be fun...

Junosmum · 11/02/2016 19:16

There's only 2 of us (well, until last month). We went from not having a watermeter - £330 per year to having a water meter - £267 for 6 months - £534 per year. We don't use that much water. Don't get one, you can't go back.

MadisonAvenue · 11/02/2016 19:18

We're with South Staffs and have a meter, had no choice as it's a new build. We were previously in a 3 bed house and our rates there five years ago were about the same as we're paying now in a 4 bedroom house. We're two adults and two teenagers with a washing machine and dishwasher.
We're billed every 6 months and our last bill was £160.

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 11/02/2016 19:21

Hell, no. We had a water meter in our old house for a brief period and had it reversed. When we were looking to move I wouldn't have even considered buying a house with a water meter.

DS has a friend who stays round most weekends. She has her own bathroom at her house but when she comes here she always asks if she can have a bath because she's not allowed them at home because they have a water meter.

Chippednailvarnish · 11/02/2016 19:23

I can't imagine what we would pay on a meter, 4 showers a day, a bath for the kids, washing machine is on everyday, as is the dishwasher.

brummiesue · 11/02/2016 19:36

We have just bought a new property and the rates are £75 a month with seven trent, we are having a meter installed next week, really hope it's the right decision....

almostthirty · 11/02/2016 19:39

Snap ! We moved from a 2 bed terrace (victorian) to a 4 bed new build, but it already had a water meter. We pay about the same as in the terrace, even though we now have treble he amount of toilets etc and children. It may be because it is a new build so has all of the water saving tech, but having a water meter is great for us.

wannabestressfree · 11/02/2016 19:46

Please remember if you have certain illnesses you can ask for water sure tariff and also 3 plus children. It means its capped even on meter.

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