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Original poster

To not want a water smartmeter

24 replies

Fightyouforthatpie · 25/10/2023 07:59

It doesn't give me any advantage at all, and it will cost money they should be spending on preventing sewage being dumped into rivers, the utter cunts.

OP posts:
Catza · 25/10/2023 08:09

One of the advantages of smart meter is that you can see your usage in real time. My elderly neighbour received a bill for several thousands pounds once. She rang the supplier and they came out to check. Turned out she had a leak for some time and since it was within the boundary of her property, she was liable for costs. Had she had smart meter, she would be able to spot it much sooner.

Original poster
Fightyouforthatpie · 25/10/2023 08:14

I can see my usage in real time already. My meter is in the bathroom, next to the loo.

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 25/10/2023 08:18

I refuse to have any smart meter, its not compulsory

lovemelongtime · 25/10/2023 08:20

If you live alone or just as a couple then it could actually save you money. But I agree with you in principle and applaud your use of the "cunts" label

Catza · 25/10/2023 08:31

Fightyouforthatpie · 25/10/2023 08:14

I can see my usage in real time already. My meter is in the bathroom, next to the loo.

So you don’t need to have one, it’s not compulsory. The vast majority of people have theirs in a manhole outside their house so it’s not feasible to keep and eye on it regularly.

Sirzy · 25/10/2023 08:34

I would be very happy to have a smart water meter if offered one - save me lying on the grass to get to it to do readings!

LakieLady · 25/10/2023 08:37

Catza · 25/10/2023 08:31

So you don’t need to have one, it’s not compulsory. The vast majority of people have theirs in a manhole outside their house so it’s not feasible to keep and eye on it regularly.

Show quote history

Mine's like that, and it's a long way down too. I'd have to lie on the pavement if I wanted to take a reading. I'd like a smart meter for my water, so I could keep an eye on what I was using.

I think they reduce costs to the water companies, as they don't have to send a meter reader round. If the water suppliers weren't such greedy bastards, it could result in cheaper bills.

BitofaStramash · 25/10/2023 08:38

We've got solar panels and there are glitches with smart meters so we won't be getting one till that's resolved

TheNoonBell · 25/10/2023 09:01

This is what happens when a country doesn't build infrastructure for decades. The last major reservoir built in the UK was in the 1990's.

When you don't want to increase supply you are forced to restrict demand.

Glittertwins · 25/10/2023 09:59

Do you know if it will increase costs or is this what you believe? I know it was a lot less money on a meter than the standard water rates. Our bills were so much higher in the house without the meter compared to flat with the meter. We had it changed as soon as we could.

MrsSkylerWhite · 25/10/2023 10:00

So say no 🤷‍♀️

Flissz · 25/10/2023 10:02

I don't do any readings or have a smart metre. I just pay a flat £ each month

Iwantmyoldnameback · 25/10/2023 10:06

I didn't want one but they kept on and OH gave in. We have saved money though.

AfterWeights · 25/10/2023 10:08

If its in your bathroom next to the loo you are hardly watching if running the tap in the kitchen are you

There are usually multiple sources of water usage & potential leak in a property.

A smart meter is usually a handy wireless screen with easy to decipher info. I can't see a major issue with it.

Fifthtimelucky · 25/10/2023 17:07

Most people save money by switching to a meter.

We have had a meter for over 20 years and we had a smart one fitted last year. We have found it very helpful. A couple of times it has enabled us to identify small leaks that we wouldn't otherwise have known about.

OhmygodDont · 25/10/2023 17:15

Ours detected a massive leak. It was in this house before we moved in. Got a notification while away that we seem to be using a ltr every hour, by the end of the month it was 6ltrs a hour. Turns out their connection where they changed the pipes had slowly split away so no viable leak or doing damage to anything to actually find it we would have just got higher bills. It was only because we knew dam well we where not using upto 6 ltrs at say 1am we knew there had to be a leak.

BMW6 · 25/10/2023 17:39

I didn't think you had a choice over water meters?

MereDintofPandiculation · 25/10/2023 17:41

Sirzy · 25/10/2023 08:34

I would be very happy to have a smart water meter if offered one - save me lying on the grass to get to it to do readings!

My smart meter is on a pipe at ceiling level. I have to get a step ladder to read it.

MereDintofPandiculation · 25/10/2023 17:43

MereDintofPandiculation · 25/10/2023 17:41

My smart meter is on a pipe at ceiling level. I have to get a step ladder to read it.

Show quote history

It's smart in that it talks to them and they bill us accordingly, but it doesn't talk to me. I still have to scramble up the steps to read it.

MereDintofPandiculation · 25/10/2023 17:47

Flissz · 25/10/2023 10:02

I don't do any readings or have a smart metre. I just pay a flat £ each month

There's a rule of thumb that says if you have fewer people in the household than you have bedrooms, you're likely to save money by moving to a meter.

You can change back in the first 12 months to flat rate based on rateable value if it isn't saving you money.

dcsp · 25/10/2023 17:57

Are you asking if its unreasonable to be happy with a non-smart meter, but not want a smart meter? Or if it's unreasonable to not want metered water at all.

If it's the former, then this is a bit unreasonable - as I understand it there are no downsides at all to having a smart meter.

If it's the latter, then no you're not being unreasonable - as for some users there will be downsides to metered water compared to unmetered.

crimminally · 25/10/2023 18:03

@Fightyouforthatpie how much is your monthly water bill?

Mine massively reduced when I got a water meter, from about £80 pcm to about £30 pcm. We're a family of 4 in a 4 bedroom house, and all shower every day, so not low usage. I can only assume water companies charge more for non-metered bills to encourage people to switch.

BashfulClam · 25/10/2023 18:09

So glad I live in Scotland without this hassle. It’s lumped in with council tax so it’s a set fee every year. I refuse to get an energy smart meter as its upheaval for something that gives me no benefit. I use what I need to and dint leave lights on etc unnecessarily as I know that costs money. I give me reading via app each month and done, I’m £400 in credit which is a ballache to get back.

missmollygreen · 25/10/2023 18:13

TheNoonBell · 25/10/2023 09:01

This is what happens when a country doesn't build infrastructure for decades. The last major reservoir built in the UK was in the 1990's.

When you don't want to increase supply you are forced to restrict demand.

How does having a smart meter reduce demand?

I will make you more aware of usage, how is that a bad thing?

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