Water Meter

[smurfchops]

Found a letter sent by Thames Water in April last year, asking if I want to have a water meter. They reckon my bills will be halved. Could this be true ? Is it worth it ? What uses the most water by the way ?

[HowardKennitby]

The one general benefit of everyone being on a meter is that it allows the water companies to identify where they are losing water due to leaks.

[Old_Geezer]

If you are happy to discourage folk from using the water they need to for hygiene purposes, and do not feel that in a society all should have a right to what they need provided by the community as a whole, then sure, grab the forty pieces of silver funded by those with a social conscience who have resisted, and hasten the day when the rest of us are compulsory changed against our will and society losses yet another decent way of doing things.

[craft1948]

OG having a meter fitted hasn't impinged on my standard of living, it has saved me quite a bit of money though.

[missprim]

My home is identical to 13 others in my Close.
Nex door to me lives a retired married couple.
Their washing machine is on at least once a day, they do not try to save on their water use because their bill is half of what I pay.
I use my washing machine 3 times a week, don't flush the loo when there is no-one else here.Never water my garden or wash my car, never have a bath, just a quick shower.
The people next door must use at least twice what I use and yet their bill is half mine.
If I had a choice, I would never have a water meter.

[craft1948]

missprim my sister and her husband decided to try a water meter after seeing how much I saved. They have a shower, not a bath, they have a huge garden which is watered in summer, they have 2 cars and a caravan which they wash, and they still pay less than under the old rating system.

[Andyvon]

That's what we all found when they fitted them in Grimsby Missprim. My bill doubled and I used much less.

[HowardKennitby]

MissP
How come you have a meter and they don't?

[missprim]

They do Howard this is what I don't understand.I got the water company out as I thought the pipes must be crossed.
They said I may have a leak but they won't test for one.
The only way around this problem is if I ask for a new meter and if the old one proves to be faulty then I pay nothing, but if my bills remain the same I will have to pay for the meter.

[HowardKennitby]

MissP

Can you read your own meter? If you can then I suggest you start doing so. Especially before any times you are going away for a reasonable period and when you get back. If the readings are different it would suggest that you do have a leak.

[237SJ]

Why won`t your water company test for a leak? Mine did. The problem was with them as well (they created the leak when they fitted the meter and didn`t connect it properly). I think you should contact your water supplier and demand that they check.

[HowardKennitby]

MissP

Obviously I can't make comments about your supplier but I can state that water companies are not infallible.
I have been sent out to read meters that didn't exist. That caused some interesting chats with the customers when I told them they had no meter as they had been receiving 'metered' bills for some time.

[Andyvon]

MissP -

The elderly neighbour I mentioned (the one who's stopped washing clothes) in my post was very happy with her bill for several months when she had her meter fitted two years ago. Then she found they had mixed her meter up with the empty flat next door! It's worth you checking yours haven't been mixed up.

[missprim]

I can't read my meter Howard as it's in the pavement and I cannot get down on my knees to read it.
The only way they would test it is by me turning on the water while they watch the dial going round(or whatever it does) then me turning the water off them watching for the dial to stop.
They've told me there could be a leak between the meter and my home but they can't check for that.

[missprim]

They did that Andy, They asked next door to turn their water on but my dial didn't move.
I'm going to start a new thread about smart meters as I think that's the only way I can be sure how much water I'm using.

[HowardKennitby]

MissP

AndyV's post may be relevant. Where is your meter located? Is it in a chamber in the street or inside your house?
Every meter has a unique serial number. It may be that yours is incorrectly recorded and you are getting someone else's bill.

[237SJ]

If you can`t get down on your knees to check, can you enlist someone else to do it for you? (family, neighbours etc). I prised up the cover on the pavement to check my meter. The little wheel was spinning around (even though there were no taps etc running). I then prised up next door`s cover and their wheel was static. I knew then that I had a leak but I didn`t know where it was coming from. The water company came out to check that free of charge. I would be surprised if any water company wouldn`t do that.

[missprim]

They did check that Howard and they did confirm it is my meter.
What annoys me about this is, you can choose your gas and electric supplier and who supplies your telephone/broadband but you don't get a choice with the water companies.

[237SJ]

My water company said that sometimes the water meters are faulty. To be fair, they normally go slow rather than fast when they are faulty (or they just grind to a halt). You are responsible for leaks on your land up until where your pipes meet the water company`s pipes. From there on, they are responsible.

[HowardKennitby]

There are problems with leaks after the meter. Water companies are only responsible up to the meter. The only way to check is to watch your meter with no taps open.

[missprim]

Yes that's true 23 but they told me that f the leak is say under my garden and it's a slow leak then they can't detect it.
I have no-one I can ask to check it for me as we are are oldies here and at 65 I am actually one of the younger ones!
The only way to check as has been suggested is if I could get a meter reading then go out for the day and check it when I get back but unfortunately I can't do it myself and neither can any of my neighbours.
I might just ask for a new meter and if I have to pay for it then so be it.