Dr W Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) I bet you have a great selection of pens, post it notes, tippex and staples at home too I might have :yp: That reminds me I'm leaving in a month so will definitely have to stock up There's also a work shower but thought that was taking things too far. Wonder what the Mrs would say if I suggested using the water butts and a camping shower in the garden Edited February 23, 2012 by Dr W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Pete, Why don't you bottle some up now and flog it as PW branded water at the charity shoot? :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin128 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I would NEVER have a water meter installed...in years to come when all they have to do is put the rate up and you will get stung the same way as Gas and Electricity Boards do. Just don't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I would NEVER have a water meter installed...in years to come when all they have to do is put the rate up and you will get stung the same way as Gas and Electricity Boards do. Just don't do it. Yeah, because they can't put up the rate of standard flat charge water rates can they? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin128 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Think about the differential re usage...no extra charge for using more...unless of course you are on meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Think about the differential re usage...no extra charge for using more...unless of course you are on meter. The OP says "we are empty nesters". I read this as a couple with no kids at home who don't use a lot of water and don't need to hammer "free water" just to see a differential saving. In the same way, I bet they pay road tax on their vehicles but don't choose to drive around aimlessly just to get their moneys worth. Pete, the deal is on the table to trial the meter, why not give it a go and switch back if necessary? I will wager £100 that you won't go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petethegeek Posted February 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Pete, the deal is on the table to trial the meter, why not give it a go and switch back if necessary? I will wager £100 that you won't go back. It certainly looks the way to go. I just need to check it will be OK to pop round to Dr W's for a quick shower every now and then. Edited February 23, 2012 by petethegeek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin128 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 ...and I wonder what the position would be with a leak your side of the meter?...but you are probably right. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 ...and I wonder what the position would be with a leak your side of the meter?...but you are probably right. :unsure: We had an underground leak, 'our side' of the meter, which went for weeks before we found out. It added an extra £300 to the charge we normally pay, but Welsh Water did allow us to only pay half the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 To be fair I have got a little obsessive about saving water to the point I'll wait and use the loo at work so I can save on flushes however you have to remember that as well as the water charge you also get charged again for sewerage so worth reducing comsumption. Well funny. I have a mad uncle who is a retired chartered accountant. He saves his flushes up to save money - yeah, nasty. He ha also been caught going to the bottom of the garden with a watering can to get rain water from a water butt to put in the toilet cistern. He also re-uses paper kitchen towels and dries them out on the boiler. You accountants are a very funny bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berties Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Works out more expensive for us as we had a meter fitted three years ago,but we had never paid water for 18 years only waste,as waste and supply are two separate companies,never gave us a choice of rates or meter,and came on easter Sunday to fit it! bad times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR1960 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Well it must have changed a lot, going by responses. In 2002 we had a meter fitted but didn't have to go on it so I thought I'd suck it and see. 5 bed house, me, her and two small kids, average size garden, not particulalrly high water usage, but I suppose the washing machine was on a fair bit, it worked out about twice as much on the meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) Well funny. I have a mad uncle who is a retired chartered accountant. He saves his flushes up to save money - yeah, nasty. He ha also been caught going to the bottom of the garden with a watering can to get rain water from a water butt to put in the toilet cistern. He also re-uses paper kitchen towels and dries them out on the boiler. You accountants are a very funny bunch. Sad isn't it I reckon if I could find a way of pumping water from the water butts to the cistern I would but too lazy to go and collect. I'd draw the line at drying out paper towels though. Edited February 27, 2012 by Dr W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpkiller Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 I wouldn't touch a meter with a barge pole, our yearly fixed water bill is just over £300 in our house, when we had a meter in a flat for just the misses and I it was a hell of a lot more. I can afford to water the garden and wash the car now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 I'd be happy to pay a one off charge of £300 to be taken off meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 When we left our old house in 2008 our water rates were £130 per year - Buyer rang us twice to confirm it - we moved to a renter and water was £500 - no wonder she queried our old house rates - first thing we did was have a meter fitted and reduced bill to £250-£300 but we were scrimping - had water butt's everywhere - Now at this place our standing charge was £318 last year so we are keeping to paying standing charge and make sure we get our money's worth - I wash car every day and we drown plant's in garden - I have though found a flaw in these low flush toilets - we are a bungalow and as such when you flush you haven't got the drop on pipe to get water moving and if like ours the drains were jerry built paper get's stuck in joint (clay pipe) - so every week two buckets of water were poured down to make sure it was clean - Fixed it now though with plastic bends. Utilities are a right rip off. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davva Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 I reckon if I could find a way of pumping water from the water butts to the cisternt. You can, there are lots of products available on the market for this... You do need separate pipework banded with Grey stripes (for Grey water - or non-potable water, not processed for drinking) At current water prices it's not really economic to do, but with price rises....... Who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermincinerator Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 We are with Anglian water and had a water meter fitted compulsarily late last year, anglian water phoned up to ask when they could come round to fit the metre, i said i dont wont one and was told you are getting one whether you want one or not. I then said that i wanted to stay with my usual water rates(there are 6 in our household) and they said that would be fine so i asked why a water metre then? this was met with silence. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy111 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Just me and eldest D at home. Went on various "check water useage" sites, seems I could save around, on average, £150pa AND with the option of reverting within 12 months, so coming on monday morning(4hrs quote, this I gotta see ) to fit it. I'm with Yorkshire water, so will have to see how it goes. They're sticking up bills by about 8% and paying over £500 on band D now. A long while back, a shopkeeping friend in the village(Recently changed shop), had a demand for water rates, when she had no water supply, it was for disposing of rainfall into sewerage. Told her not to pay it, can't cut you off Never heard the result though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Bump, So Southern Water are currently installing a water meter outside my house right now, I have no choice in this. Am I right in saying that if I end up having to pay more I can ask to go back to un metered as long as it's within a year? I don't take the **** with water use so can't imagine it's going to be cheaper with a meter. It makes me chuckle the big drama over water shortage considering the amount of free water that has fallen out of the sky recently. Hosepipe ban soon no doubt, what a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 I pay £27.14 a month over 10 months, so thats £271.40 per year Live on me own so dont know if a meter would save me much? how do you work it out? just checked according to Northumbria water it would save me £7 a month http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/shaun.gif just saw this again so thought I would update Mine did reduce from £27 per month to £18 per month, It was monitored over the year and because I was in so much credit it has now been reduced to just over £5 per month!! Yes, my water rates are pennies over £5 per month, Switching to a meter has saved me a small fortune, Wish I had done it years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren m Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Can anyone with a meter let me know how many cubic litres they use per month? I've been in my house five years and pay on average 250 to 300 pounds every six months, there's only two of us and I'm really careful with what I use as it seems so expensive. I'm beggining to think my meter might be on the blink! same here our bill for 6 months last was £400 , that seems a bit high to me , biggest mistake we ever had was having a water meter put in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 As per Richard H above. We pay the highest rates by far in the country (South West Water) because of 'Clean Sweep' which is to improve the standard of our coastal waters so all you holiday makers aren't ill after spending the day on our glorious beaches. The meter system is far, far cheaper for us without scrimping. Actually a few of the places we stayed at when we were in Corwall had water pumped from wells! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Actually a few of the places we stayed at when we were in Corwall had water pumped from wells! Now thats the way forward - get a borehole £3-4k and all the water you can use for nothing. Add a septic tank or a rush pit (SDS) and your water bill is negligible. If you have room and can afford it, go for a wind turbine 40 MW type. Buy 40 acres and hobby farm. Make sure you have at least 4 acres of woodland and all you have to pay is your Council Tax. The food you grow will taste better and life will get better all round. At least thats a bit of my dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodo123 Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Eventually everyone will be on a meter. Those who aren't will be priced out so will have to get one. I have one and the price is almost fair. Maybe they should double the rates for UN metered and charge me less as they use more.... It's only fair you pay for what you use and seems bizzare some don't have a meter. I don't think it's fair to knowingly let consumers switch back before 12 months etc. Yeah well we're using a **** load and don't wana pay for it so let those with meters pay for ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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