Anybody have a water meter??

[HH171222]

Hello peeps hope you're doing good. So I'm about a month away from moving into my new house which happens to have a water meter (Yorkshire Waters). It initially put me off but the house in in a very good location plus near my mums and hardly any houses go up for sale here so I'm lucky to have got it. I remember feeling better about the water meter after looking online and people saying it actually helped them save money but I want to know others experience because I'm feeling shitty about it again. It's me husband and a 6 month old baby. We do use a lot of water but not an insane amount either. I tend to shower every other day, husband showers everyday due to his job and baby twice a week and then other normal uses aswell. I won't be using a hosepipe. How much does it cost you and how many people are they living with you usage etc? I wish they did a fixed rate for a water meter too.

My bill dropped from £70 a month to £19. Two of us, showering daily, two dishwasher loads a day and 3-4 loads of washing a week.

All properties in England are heading to being fitted with a water meter. I'm within the Thames region and their aim is to have every property fitted with one by 2035. If you don't use excessively, no pool/hot tub, no massive garden to water. You'll be fine and more than likely find it cheaper than water rates. They are ultimately a good thing and will force people to reduce how much water they use - this is aimed at the excessive use people not your standard family, who use water at a sensible level.

Yes I'm with Yorkshire Water. It's saved me money. There's 1 adult, 3 teens here and it's £35 a month. It was cheaper when they were younger and they didn't have showers so often, clothes were smaller etc.

It's just gone up to £30 a month since our baby came home, and he was having daily baths, gone down to every other day now. Two adults and a baby, washer on about 3-4 times a week

Similar usage to you. 2 children, but they are bathed together! They are both a little older, so use the toilet. I do water the garden when water butts are empty, but rarely hose.

Paying £45 a month.

Fixed rate water takes into account the number of toilets/bathrooms. So if the new place has more of those your bill would be increasing anyway.

This is a good point. At the point of a new person taking on the water contract (ie when you move house), they will automatically fit a water meter (unless there’s a reason why not - which would be related to how the supply gets to the property).

So even if you were buying a house that doesn’t have a meter, they’ll be fitting one anyway.

Yorkshire Water here too. We are a family of three, two adults, one teen. All shower daily. No baths at all. Daily dishwasher, washing goes on 3-4 times a week.We currently pay £55 a month, but has varied between £50-60 a month in the eight years we've lived here. They read the meter once a year.

Think the usual equation is if it has more bedrooms than people you will be better off with a water meter. Plus it's better for the environment anyway

@Aposterhasnoname oh wow thats really good. Thank you

@Wannabegreenfingers @mummymummymummummum actually that's not true at all. I've just been speaking with yorkshire waters to talk about a few things and this is something that may happen in the future but unless it's a new build they don't come out and put one in unless asked for it. It's a common misunderstanding

@Bookendortwo 35 pound is still good! I have along time till he grows up yet so it's all good haha. Thank you for replying

@juneybean thank you that sounds similar to what it would be like for us.

Happy to be corrected! I’ve had meters installed at 3 properties that I’ve moved into, across 3 different water boards. But admittedly none Yorkshire Water!

I work for a water company, and I also have a 2 year old. Meters are definitely cheaper than paying Rateable Value for your size of family. Water is currently a lot cheaper than energy.

Yorkshire Water may not be installing many meters but the above poster is correct, my company is certainly making an active effort to install as many meters as possible. I believe there is also a water company further south that is about 95% metered.

I work for a different water company and you’re definitely correct :)

Sorry forgot to say OP, best thing you can do on the day you take responsibility for the new property is to take a reading and give it to YW (unless it’s a smart meter).

A bit further north than you, but 2 adults, 2 teens, and £35 a month on water.
That's all of us showering daily, dishwasher on every day. Washing machine most days.

Yorkshire Water definitely tried and failed to install a meter when I bought my house. Typical house for my area so imagine they must have a lot on a fixed rate if terraces pose an installation problem

Yep, former water co employee here, compulsory water meters are coming.

No it doesn't - it was based on the Rateable Value of the property, While it is GENERALLY the case that the bigger the house = the higher the RV, but not always the case.

Meters are coming. Might not be next week, or next year, but it WILL happen.

@HH171222 I work for Thames. Each water company has their own strategy, hence why I mentioned Thames Water's aim is by 2035, but it's something the industry as a whole is aiming for.

Just be glad you’re not on SW water and have to pay double what most of these amounts on here quote. We actually have a 3-min egg timer in the shower (mainly for the teenagers..!) we are in a drought area yet still all the blooming campsites & posh holiday places are allowed to fill and refill those lovely hot tubs but we can’t use a hosepipe! Use wisely and your be fine.

We're a family of 3 and our Direct Debit is £30 a month but we're always in credit!

@mummymummymummummum Sorry I didn't meant to come across as rude or anything! ( one reason I hate messages haha) I'm sure you're correct for most companies they probably will push for water meters to be installed. I'm just going off what I've been told for YW. 🙂