ph5172 Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 We have a meter fitted as standard on the new build requirements. I was chatting to the engineer and he said as a ball park average if you use all your bedrooms you are better off on a fixed rate instead of a meter. - I know we would be. saying that as with everything why shouldn’t you pay for what you use. I would love to get rid of mine mind and go standard fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 4 minutes ago, ph5172 said: We have a meter fitted as standard on the new build requirements. I was chatting to the engineer and he said as a ball park average if you use all your bedrooms you are better off on a fixed rate instead of a meter. - I know we would be. saying that as with everything why shouldn’t you pay for what you use. I would love to get rid of mine mind and go standard fixed. It varies hugely - and some will benefit from a meter, others from fixed rate. In my case, the fixed rate is I believe based on your house 'rateable value' which is similar to the council tax band in that it is based on property value and size. Because my house is in band G, I would have a very high water 'fixed charge'. In fact I use very little water as I am a single person household and very rarely use a hosepipe. Therefore I am MUCH better off with a meter. If you live in a low rateable value house (i.e. a low council tax band) - and use a lot of water, such as much use of hosepipe, sprinkler, lots of washing - then you will probably be better off on a fixed rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 Hello, a few years ago I was asked to check out a block of flats X 4, all had their own Meters in a pit with a heavy lid, these flats were around 8 years old, the top 2 flat had the correct Meters, the bottom 2 were not, I checked the flow against the Meter number and they were paying each others water bills, it took months for TWA to sort out, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 (edited) I know our water supplier gives you a two year trial, it’s free to get the meter fitted & after two years if you want to switch back you have the opportunity, but what I will say when my sister put her house up for sale the estate agent did tell her properties without water meters do influence potential buyers. 28 minutes ago, blackbird said: Edited October 5, 2020 by blackbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 Our water meter is 50 metres from our boundary along with our neighbours. It is located at then end of a street that connects to our lane - not too happy with that but hey ho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 At my last place the meter was nearly a mile away in a straight line and more like 5 miles via roads. At this place my meter is up the road a bit but doesn't go round anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 8 hours ago, discobob said: Our water meter is 50 metres from our boundary along with our neighbours. It is located at then end of a street that connects to our lane - not too happy with that but hey ho Hello, is it a private lane to your house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 I have a water meter story. After my mother died my father decided to have a meter fitted as he was living on his own. He told me it was saving him a fortune even though he was washing his car and watering the garden. Anyway 10 years went by and I inherited the bungalow after he died. When fitting a new kitchen and bathroom I realized I could not turn off the water, the stopcock at the meter and the one under the sink wouldn't stop the flow. Called the water supplier, they came out and found out that the water came from next door ( semi detached bungalow). It turned out that the original owner was a property company who owned the whole row, and when the supply pipe collapsed through a lorry coming up the driveway they just connected from the next bungalow as they owned both and rented them. Luckily the company still exists and the water supplier made them install a new pipe as what they did was illegal. My father would have been so pleased to know he had free water for 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 12 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said: Hello, is it a private lane to your house? It is an un-adopted lane owned by the council who say they own it as a private landlord (???)- but it is also a public footpath which has just been tarmacked, curbed, soakaway drains and streetlighting put on this year - and also turned into the outside lane of the M6 some people seem to think!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanz Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 i have one in the house best move ever,3 bed semi,live on my ownb4 my bills were £560 and riseing,now i pay around £240 a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 Where the water meter is distant from the property, there is a risk. I have a similar situation with a tank in a field which has a meter set in the grass verge some considerable distance from my property. IF there is a leak, I am responsible for every drop of water that flows through the meter. IF that leak was underground, it might well leak without obvious signs .......... until you get the water bill ......... which could be considerable. You are then responsible to pay the bill AND repair the leak (if you wish to continue yo use the water). IF this is under a road or someone else's property, this may be both expensive and difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 6 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said: Where the water meter is distant from the property, there is a risk. I have a similar situation with a tank in a field which has a meter set in the grass verge some considerable distance from my property. IF there is a leak, I am responsible for every drop of water that flows through the meter. IF that leak was underground, it might well leak without obvious signs .......... until you get the water bill ......... which could be considerable. You are then responsible to pay the bill AND repair the leak (if you wish to continue yo use the water). IF this is under a road or someone else's property, this may be both expensive and difficult. Just had a look - £800 to get a water meter moved by United Utilities to the boundary. I wish I had of realised about this 16years ago when we bought the house when new 😞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 Just now, discobob said: Just had a look - £800 to get a water meter moved by United Utilities to the boundary. Yes, it is very expensive. Because mine is a tank in a field, we turn it off except when needed. Only recently a local farmer had a leak under a tarmac road (private road to a sailing club). I don't yet know what it has cost, but the pipe was deep and it may have been leaking for some time before it showed on the surface ............ then getting to it involved digging part of the road ......... I do not know where insurance may (or more likely may not) be available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 Just now, JohnfromUK said: Yes, it is very expensive. Because mine is a tank in a field, we turn it off except when needed. Only recently a local farmer had a leak under a tarmac road (private road to a sailing club). I don't yet know what it has cost, but the pipe was deep and it may have been leaking for some time before it showed on the surface ............ then getting to it involved digging part of the road ......... I do not know where insurance may (or more likely may not) be available. I think that you can get policies from the likes of Homeserve that covers the work - I seem to remember seeing something of the like when we had a policy years ago. Our boiler is that old now (16 years) we don't have cover. I do have to say that when we were with BG we had so many problems with it and they referred to it as "triggers broom". Since we left them we have had very little issue!!??? Which reminds me I have to get the boiler serviced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 1 minute ago, discobob said: Which reminds me I have to get the boiler serviced Just had mine done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 I had one fitted about ten years ago and never regretted it as long as you do not use stupid amounts of water you will make a good saving having said that there is no way that I am having a smart electric meter even though Scotish Power do keep on badgering me to have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 i won't mention any names but the couple in question will have a bath and keep the water and flush the toilet with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernel gadaffi Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 I had a water meter installed in the spring, my charges were £560 per year, now I pay £108 per year. A very big saving for me, that's over 39 tins of .177 JSB Exact Express! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samboy Posted October 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Update on my new water meter. Just had a letter from the water company saying they have refunded me £72 and my bill has gone down from £56 to £19 a month. All savings will mean more money to spend on shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 1 hour ago, samboy said: Update on my new water meter. Just had a letter from the water company saying they have refunded me £72 and my bill has gone down from £56 to £19 a month. All savings will mean more money to spend on shooting. I pity the guy standing down wind from you on the next peg 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 34 minutes ago, blackbird said: I pity the guy standing down wind from you on the next peg 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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