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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think fitting a water meter can put off potential buyers?

100 replies

Mydietstartstomorrow · 20/01/2020 11:32

That really. Our house is on the market, I'm moving out and estranged husband moving back in till the house sells. He wants to put a water meter in to reduce his water bill but I am worried this may put potential buyers off. Would it put you off buying?

OP posts:
LIZS · 20/01/2020 11:33

New properties have had them installed fir over 20 years, I don't think it will be especially offputting.

Sleepforever · 20/01/2020 11:35

It would definitely put me off. I wouldn't buy a house with a water meter whilst I have kids at home.

AnneLovesGilbert · 20/01/2020 11:36

Our bills went down loads when we got a meter so I’d be pleased if a house I was looking at had one.

PuppyMonkey · 20/01/2020 11:37

Wouldn’t put me off. Not having a water meter would put me off though.

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 20/01/2020 11:38

No. We have a water meter (was already installed when we bought the house) and our bills have actually come down.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/01/2020 11:38

If there are more people than bedrooms a water meter will be cheaper iirc.

Justanotherusernamer · 20/01/2020 11:39

I wouldn't like it but if the house was significantly better than the other options, I'd still buy. So.. not a deal breaker but I'd think long and hard whether the other housing options were better..

bsc · 20/01/2020 11:39

Absolutely would! I don't want smart meters or water meter thank you.
When the water companies stop wasting 1/3 of the water in the system to leakage, I'll worry more about my useage. (I'm pretty frugal with water use anyway)

GetUpAgain · 20/01/2020 11:41

Depends - is it a family house? It would put me off. Bought our house 13 years ago and it had recently had a water meter installed so we asked existing owners to get it removed before we bought it. As they'd had it less than a year this was allowed. Not sure what the rules are these days but that might be an option.

Gizlotsmum · 20/01/2020 11:42

In our area a meter is fitted as standard when a house is sold. Wouldn't worry me

cologne4711 · 20/01/2020 11:43

Once you have a meter you are stuck with it, they're not removed now.

I wonder if water companies now make you have a water meter when they change the name on the bill, so actually it wouldn't matter?

ForeverBubblegum · 20/01/2020 11:43

Depends on type of house, if its likely to sell to a single person or couple then they probably won't care or be pleased. A family home could be more problematic, as meters can increase the water bill if kids are having baths every night, more washing etc.

I'd probably not have one fitted as the new owners can get one themselves if they want to, but can't get it removed if they don't want it.

FourTeaFallOut · 20/01/2020 11:44

How many bedrooms does the house have. I only think people would consider this a negative if they have 4+ people living in the house.

SleepingInYourFlowerbed · 20/01/2020 11:46

Water companies where I live are obligated to check whether a water meter can be installed whenever a house exchanges hands as we're in a "water stressed" area. I wouldn't bat an eyelid whether a property had a a water meter or not as it's completely normal either way.

sleepylittlebunnies · 20/01/2020 11:47

It would put me off, we have 5 of us in a 3 bed house, 3 kids heading towards teenage years. ASD son has a bath every day, sometimes twice on non school days, the rest of us shower daily. Paddling pool out in the summer, washing machine on everyday, lots of washing up, wash our vehicles ourselves.

My parents have a meter, 2 of them in a 5 bedroom house and their water bill is around £15 a month. That’s 2 showers every day, one washing up bowl a day and a couple of loads of washing a week.

I’m quite happy to pay £60 a month and know what the bill will be each time. We will probably stay in this home so once it’s just the 2 of us then I’d get a meter.

stripeypillowcase · 20/01/2020 11:49

yabu
many areas have compulsory water meters and no one bats an eyelid.
shouldn't matter anyway unless you have a swimming pool.

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 20/01/2020 11:50

'll worry more about my useage. (I'm pretty frugal with water use anyway)

So you may well be paying more than you should just to spite the water co?

Woeisme99 · 20/01/2020 11:53

It would absolutely put me off. As a family with young dc it's nice to have something non metered. The fact its on reversable is the main deal breaker.
If your house is on the market then hopefully it'll be a max of 6 months he has to pay water rates for.

loobyloo1234 · 20/01/2020 11:54

The opposite for me. A water meter has helped to reduce my costs as its actually correct and based on usage rather than based on the average person who may or may not have more people living at home than me

iano · 20/01/2020 11:57

Ours significantly reduced our bill.

PuppyMonkey · 20/01/2020 11:59

Some useful info here
www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills/

Baaaahhhhh · 20/01/2020 12:06

We opted to have one years ago, with kids, and the bill still came down considerably. It does kind of annoy me (sorry but it does) that people using loads of water think they shouldn't pay a reasonable amount for doing that. It means everyone else is subsidising them for their water use, and it doesn't make sense when everything else is based on usage.

So, no, it definitely wouldn't put me off.

KittenVsBox · 20/01/2020 12:11

About half the country has a meter.
I wouldn't even think to ask, and it wouldnt factor into my decision making.

EmmaStone · 20/01/2020 12:12

Nope, I think not having a meter is a bit weird - we should all be paying for what we use. We've recently moved, and as soon as we'd changed the name son the account, the water board arranged for a meter to be fitted. Doesn't bother me at all - we had a meter in our last house.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 20/01/2020 12:16

It wouldn't necessarily put me off but it would make me think carefully about buying. We currently don't have a water meter and when I did one of those 'can you save money' things it said we would be worse off even though there's only 2 of us.

A smart meter would be far more off putting though unless it could be changed to a dumb meter.