So now it's a drought on the way as well - AIBU to think water meters should be compulsory

[cakeorwine]

www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/31/drought-water-queues-uk-hosepipe-ban-compulsory-metering

Low levels of water supply.
Reservoirs drying up
Farmers having issues with watering crops.

The average household with a water meter uses 33 litres a day. Those without use 141 litres a day (on average)

The UK has the highest water consumption in Europe

OTOH - water companies lose 3 billion litres a day in leaks

We have a water meter - and it does make you think that if you are paying for the volume you use, you use less.

And it does seem unfair that people can use more of the same product from the same company but not get charged for the amount they use.

OTOH - there are households who would suffer if they had reasons why they used a lot of water and that could affect their health.

But then again, there are people who don't care about their water usage as they aren't paying per litre.

We are facing a drought - and climate change will affect water supply going forward. So maybe it is time for a look at compulsory metering WITH a look at cost per 1000 litres and a sensible look at circumstances of households.

I’d agree with increasing rates per usage for energy absolutely but not for water.

If you were charged a higher flat rate just because you have a higher council band would you not just have more over use? We live in London and have a higher band just because prices are, and always were, high. A terraced house can easily be an F or a G. What’s to say they use any extra water to someone in a cheaper terraced house up north? It’d hardly be fair.
If I were charged more as a flat fee I’d be watering the garden a lot more than I am. I’d want something on return for what I’d perceive as something unfair.

Having increasing rates would work (and be fair) only if everyone could be given a metre and as this thread shows, we’re so far from that.

The regulation should be sufficient that it does not happen this way. Especially given that the water companies operate local monopolies. There’s no competition in the water market at all. By design. So they need to be very heavily regulated and compelled to invest sufficiently in maintaining the infrastructure.

We should be angry about this. Not just holding our hands up and saying ‘well what else can you expect’.

A great deal of environmental aims would be much better addressed by government getting to grips with corporations. But it’s easier for them to focus on individuals and pretend that Jim at number 47 having a strip wash instead of a shower is what’s required.

I think water meters should be compulsory.

We have had one ever since moving to our current house over 20 years ago. One of my neighbours (family of 5) resisted having one for years, assuming it would cost them more.

A meter was imposed a couple of years ago and their water bill halved!

Trouble is I don't trust the water companies to inflate the cost of water once everyone is on a meter

I was told for years we couldn't have a meter in our old house, which is on a shared supply, but we've just recently had one fitted. They fitted it just outside where the water pipe went into the property, dug up the path and then reinstated it. I think it will save me a lot, so it's come at a good time with the energy increases.

Apparently if you can't have a meter fitted you can have an assessed bill, which may help some people.

We have just had one fitted. Even at the highest estimate of use, we will save enough each year to pay two months of winter fuel bills (at present rate). But we have always collected rain water too, which does for our garden.

Not all houses can have them fitted. We share water pipes with next door, and the pipes are several feet below ground (we have a long metal rod to turn off the stopcock) so we can't have one installed. We've asked, twice.

It'll be electric which causes people to cut down on water use though - how much the washer, shower, bath costs to run and heat.