Water Meters

This is just one of many articles that can easily be found about water meters. Although the article is British it clearly describes both advantages and disadvantages for water waters.

The method by which water meters are installed in many communities is very different from that proposed by our current Cranbrook Council. Beginning with those who voluntarily install their meters, enables people to talk about their experiences first hand. Residents learn from one another. The options open to those in this article is impressive.

Kamloops took their water meter issue to referendum and it was voted down but later their Council went ahead anyway. It would not be beneficial to have that scenario in Cranbrook. A more gentle, gradual voluntary approach would be much less threatening.

From The Telegraph

By Richard Evans

12:17PM BST 03 Apr 2009

No one likes to pour money down the drain, but when it comes to water bills many of us are doing exactly that. Some people could save as much as £850 a year by switching to a water meter. But others could be seriously out of pocket – especially as prices across the country are about to rise by an average of 4.1pc.

Let's look at a pensioner couple living in a semi-detached house in Torquay and their neighbours on the other side of the party wall, a couple with three young children. The pensioners use very little water; they wash up by hand, use the washing machine sparingly and don't do a lot of gardening.

The family, by contrast, are heavy users, as they have a swimming pool and are keen gardeners, while their children – and their clothes – need frequent washing.

If neither house has a water meter, their bills for water and sewerage will be identical; they will both pay £1,288. That's £471 for water and £817 for sewerage. But what happens if both decide to install a water meter?

The pensioners will probably use about 85 cubic metres of water per year. The cost of this in Torquay – which we've chosen because it falls within the South West Water region, whose rates are among the highest in the country – is £427, so they will save £861 or 33pc. (A more typical semi-detached household in South West Water's region could expect to save about £500, the company said.)


A typical family of five uses 270 cubic metres per year, according to Ofwat. The pensioners' neighbours will want to fill their swimming pool, which takes 30 cubic meters, at least once a year, taking the total to 300 cubic metres. If they have a meter installed, their new bill will be £539 for water and £819 for sewerage, a total of £1,358.

This is £70 more a year than they paid without a meter – and it will cost them another £133 each time they fill the pool. The more they use, the more they lose out from having a meter.

This example shows how important it is to look at the circumstances before deciding to switch to a water meter. The rule of thumb is that small families in big homes are likely to be better off having a meter installed, while big families in small homes would probably be better off sticking to bills based on rateable value and avoiding a meter.

If you have more bedrooms than occupants, say experts, you should probably get a meter.

If you want to be sure that you'll save by getting a meter, your local water company should be able to tell you, Ofwat says. The regulator also has an online tool on its own website (www.ofwat.gov.uk) that should help you do the sums.

If you've decided that you will save by getting a meter installed, how do you go about it? The first thing to know is that it's free (except in certain special circumstances) and that your water company cannot refuse your request (again, unless there is a strong practical impediment).

The meter should be installed within three months of a customer's application, the regulator said, adding: "Where companies cannot meet the deadline for installation they should make provisions to ensure customers are no worse off."

The water company can choose where to put the meter, which could be inside or outside the property.

If you have worked out that getting a meter would save you money, but find that you cannot have one, there is a third way to calculate your bills: the water company will estimate what your meter reading would be if you had one, based on factors such as the number of occupants, and bill you accordingly. This is known as an "assessed charge".

Deciding whether to have a meter won't always be as clear cut as in our example of the two neighbours. Some people switch to a meter in the hope of saving money, only to find that their bills go up.

Under the rules, such customers are allowed to return to unmetered billing, although the meter itself will be left in place. But you can switch back only within the first year after having your meter installed.

Water companies cannot insist that you pay by volume, except in certain circumstances. These include householders who use a sprinkler, a swimming pool that fills automatically, a large bath or a power shower.

Many people try harder to use less water once they have a meter, knowing that every extra drop costs them money.