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Original poster

house has water meter - can you go back to not having it?

52 replies

CristinaTheAstonishing · 16/08/2011 19:19

The house we want to buy has a water meter, which for a family of 5 plus another adult on a frequent basis is probably a bad idea.

Can we change it back to not metered?

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 16/08/2011 21:08

i am a freak who only wees twice a day Blush

BUT it's very nice of me because it means the kids can go as often as they like, I offset it for them Grin

we don't do anything specifically to conserve water, although we generally have never been wasteful with it anyway.
But a few things that can easily save water (if you don't do it already)

kids sharing bath
older kids having shower instead
turning tap off while you brush your teeth
water butts for the garden
only half-filling the washing-up bowl, or using an efficient dishwasher (that's full)
not letting your 2 year old wash his own hands Hmm lol
adjusting the flush in your cistern, or using something like a hippo bag
wash fruit and veg/rinse dishes by running a small bowl of water rather than just holding them under a running tap

SparklePrincess · 16/08/2011 22:24

I found I saved a fortune on switching to a water meter in a band F property. Our bills more than halved. You may be glad of the meter.

Fizzylemonade · 16/08/2011 23:32

We are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 children 8 & 5. Our quarterly bill is £80 which included watering a veg plot (whilst the water butts filled) I'm a SAHM so I'm home in the day too.

We have those hippo bags in the toilet cisterns (old toilets so no dual flush) and I tend to boil the kettle for 10 seconds if I am only washing a pan up. Dishwasher is on every day as is the washing machine.

My in-laws refuse to have a water meter as they think it would put a family off buying their house in the future. They live in a 4 bed house as do we and they pay far more than we do.

I never understand why people wouldn't have a water meter, you pay for gas and electric by the meter and petrol so why wouldn't you want to pay for the water you actually use?

bumpybecky · 16/08/2011 23:35

we're on a cheaper tariff as we have 4 dc, it's called aquasure or aquacare, something like that. Each year I have to send them a copy of the tax creidts paperwork showing we've got 4dc and that's it :)

gettingeasier · 17/08/2011 11:06

Moved here 4 months ago and asked to have a meter put in.

My monthly bill has gone from £53 to £23 and we use water freely

Original poster
CristinaTheAstonishing · 17/08/2011 21:15

Thank you - some very encouraging posts on here and some good ideas for saving water too.

OP posts:
biffandchip · 17/08/2011 21:37

I was in the same position as you last year. Put an offer in etc then found out about the water meter and I seriously thought twice about going ahead however, with 2 adults and 3 dcs it costs us less than the RV way. Baths and showers every day, washing machine on at least once every day. We have the Wickes eco toilets which use hardly any water at all, an aerator on the shower (which was free from the water company I think) We bought a slightly narrower bath so don't need as much water. Also turn taps off when brushing teeth and bought a smaller bathroom sink - obv not a cloakroom one but smaller than the usual large basins. The down side is not watering the garden as much as we would like but then again the amount of rain we have had has kept the water butts full. All in al it costs us less and does make us think about how we use water which isn't really a bad thing.

Ponders · 17/08/2011 21:45

I think about how I use water all the time but no other bugger does - adolescent males are hopeless and adult males not much better Angry - 20 minute showers & a kettleful of water for one cup of coffee grrrrrrrrrrrr

try to get yours brainwashed, Cristina! Grin

Original poster
CristinaTheAstonishing · 17/08/2011 21:57

We are used to paying for as much or as little as we use for electricity but not for water, it just seems much more basic to be able to flush the toilet and wash.

Biffandchip - that sounds similar to us! We are quite desperate to move and in that particular area too so we'll have to go with it.

Ponders - yep, DS is reaching teenager age, he might even start having daily showers. Good on the one hand, bad if he goes for 20 minutes showers.

OP posts:
biffandchip · 17/08/2011 22:03

I think it's probably a good thing that people actually realise that water has a cost just like electricity and gas. If my dc's leave a tap running I remind them that the money they are literally putting down the drain is what I would have spent on a treat for them. We never have running taps (and mine are 5, 7 & 9). They really got the message!

GrendelsMum · 18/08/2011 10:23

We installed a converter on our toilets when we moved in - you can easily turn them from one flush to two flush, or (what we have) a 'push and hold' flush where you just use as much as you need.

limitedperiodonly · 18/08/2011 17:13

My mum lives alone, has no washing machine or dishwasher, washes daily using the shower attachment in the bath and flushes the loo the average number of times for an 80+ lady - I have no wish to pry or investigate what the future may hold for me Grin.

The downside is that she drinks lots of tea.

She's terrified that a meter will be forced on her. Will they impose it and has she got anything to be scared of anyway? Might she actually save if she gets one?

Sorry for the hi-jack OP but in the spirit of efficiency, I didn't want to start a new thread Grin

SparklePrincess · 19/08/2011 15:21

I think she would be miles better off with a meter limitedperiodonly. My parents bill halved when they got one. :)

limitedperiodonly · 19/08/2011 23:51

Thanks sparkleprincess.

Now to convince her...

Ponders · 20/08/2011 09:43

lpo, I read somewhere that if you do have a meter fitted, you can ask within 12 months to go back to flat rate if you'd rather - but that way you get time to see what difference it makes to bills.

Like SP I would have thought her bills would be far less with a meter

manchurian · 20/08/2011 09:50

I moved house in November to a house without a meter. Didn't have to have on fitted either - have I had a lucky escape? I probably should have one though, i find myself leaving taps on and shrugging it off, or running multiple baths, which isn't very green of me now I think about it.

gorionine · 20/08/2011 09:55

Op, I have not read all the thread so sorry if this is an answer you already got. We recently moved from non meter to meter and it was quite a shock to see the diference but, if you are with "united utilities" you can apply to have your bills caped (cannot remember the exact amount) if you have children so it is worth having a look into that. We just applied ourselves and are waiting to hear from them.

dexter73 · 20/08/2011 10:16

limitedperiodonly - my mum has a single person cap on her water bill. She pays about £200 a year. Sounds like she would be much better off with a water meter though.

brighthair · 20/08/2011 11:43

I have a meter, and live alone, my bill is approx £85 every 6 months and I regularly take baths! No dishwasher, and I do about 3 loads of washing a week

limitedperiodonly · 21/08/2011 20:20

Thanks dexter will try and convince her.

Sally1959 · 15/04/2013 11:00

Have just found out that house I am buying has a water metre. I notice Cristina was in same situation and wondered if she had gone ahead with the purchase of her house. If so, how are the bills. I am a family of 3: myself, my 21 year old son and 16 year old daughter. Will be living in N11 area of London.

Any help appreciated.

Trills · 15/04/2013 11:12

I think you are massively overestimating the impact that this will have. You won't have to stop having baths.

Trills · 15/04/2013 11:20

limited - I agree that your mum would probably be better off on a meter. How big is her house? Right now they are guessing how much water a household of that size would use. The estimate they are making is probably for more than one person.

DP and I live in a 2-bedroom house, we asked for a meter to be installed when we moved in and the amount we are paying with a meter is half that we were asked to pay unmetered. I have no idea if we are frugal with water or if the calculations thought that a lot of people would be living in this house.

Kiriwawa · 15/04/2013 11:26

I'm a single parent with one DC and my water bills have plummeted since I had a meter installed - quite rightly!

Why is water the one thing that people feel they shouldn't have to pay for what they use? Confused :o

Turnipinatutu · 15/04/2013 11:49

I don't think people necessarily think they shouldn't have to pay for what they use. I think it's more of a concern about the water companies sneakily increasing their profits.
If you live in an under occupied house, your are likely to pay less with a meter but if its full to capacity or overcrowded, you will more than likely pay more.
A friend of mine has recently found out she is paying twice the amount of her unmetered neighbours and doesn't use water in a wasteful fashion.

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