Water meters. Yes or No?

[Bobba]

Without wishing to derail MM’s post, reading it prompted me to ask advice on water metres.

We do not have one. There is just the two of us  with what I would consider normal usage of daily showers, dishwasher and washing machine as necessary. Mrs B loves her garden which requires watering but is prudent in running off the kitchen tap into watering cans until the hot water arrives.

From experience do PW members believe a changeover to metered water saves money? Thanks.

Edited September 15 by Bobba

[TOPGUN749]

Definitely cheaper for 2 people. Water prices vary in different areas but my standing charge this year is £151 a year,and the water and sewerage charges combined come to £3.35 per 1000 litres used. (1 unit on the meter is 1000 litres) My total for a year is £235,without a meter I believe it’s over £600. With 3 people in his bungalow my brother pays about £350 a year instead of £700.

Standing charges have gone up a lot over the past 20 years because so many went onto a meter and all new builds have them,so they weren’t getting enough revenue. I paid £32 a year 20+ years ago,and now £151. I must have saved on average £300 a year for 28 years now.

Originallly I had to pay £70 for fitting my meter,but now it should be free,and I recommend fitting inside the house if possible rather than the pavement as it’s easier to read it.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

I had one fitted while we were a family of four, saved me money. SIMPLES

 

Now single, following an amicable divorce and the two boys making their own lives I pay £19 a month and am very happy.

[samboy]

My bill was £56 a month i had a meter fitted and it is now £18 a month. 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, Rather than the Kitchen tap to water garden could you not find room for some water butts ?? By all accounts you should save some money having a Meter, If you have a neighbour on a meter with 2 adult property then see what the pay, 

Edited September 15 by oldypigeonpopper

[JKD]

15 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Rather than the Kitchen tap to water garden could you not find room for some water butts ?? 

His Mrs is filling watering cans with the cold water from the hot tap, before the hot comes through 😉 Can't comment on the water meter option, as I'm the last terraced house on a shared supply 🙄

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 minute ago, JKD said:

His Mrs is filling watering cans with the cold water from the hot tap, before the hot comes through 😉 Can't comment on the water meter option, as I'm the last terraced house on a shared supply 🙄

Hello, Ah Yes your right but i still think it would be a good idea to catch the rain water to supplement from tap water

[ShootingEgg]

4 minutes ago, JKD said:

His Mrs is filling watering cans with the cold water from the hot tap, before the hot comes through

Unsure if this is sarcasm or not but how do you think the hot water then gets re filled.. once the hot waters filled the cold pipes. Draining the tank 😬

[JKD]

Just now, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Ah Yes your right but i still think it would be a good idea to catch the rain water to supplement from tap water

They might do, but not mentioned in this context ?

1 minute ago, ShootingEgg said:

Unsure if this is sarcasm or not but how do you think the hot water then gets re filled.. once the hot waters filled the cold pipes. Draining the tank 😬

Definitely not sarcasm, just pointing out to OPP that the OP's wife doesn't waste the 'not hot' water coming from the hot tap. Not sure what your point is, apart from being unnecessarily argumentative ? 🤷‍♂️

[oldypigeonpopper]

8 minutes ago, JKD said:

They might do, but not mentioned in this context ?

Definitely not sarcasm, just pointing out to OPP that the OP's wife doesn't waste the 'not hot' water coming from the hot tap. Not sure what your point is, apart from being unnecessarily argumentative ? 🤷‍♂️

Hello, Yes but it was only a Suggestion without knowing if Bobba has some water butts, saying all this it certainly looks like a water meter would cost less than what Bobba and his Wife pay now

[JKD]

2 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Yes but it was only a Suggestion without knowing if Bobba has some water butts, saying all this it certainly looks like a water meter would cost less than what Bobba and his Wife pay now

👍🙂

[Rim Fire]

We got a water meter my Mrs says our bills are cut by half but I do have a garage and fill 5 drums frome my allotments which I use for the garden as for the op using  the cold water before  the hot water  comes out the pipes  my Mrs do this to water the plants out the front garden 

[DUNKS]

We had a meter  fitted just before lockdown. Annual cost was £650, is now around £300. Although I have just power washed the Patio and drive which will put the next bill up a bit!

[JKD]

17 minutes ago, Rim Fire said:

 as for the op using  the cold water before  the hot water  comes out the pipes  my Mrs do this to water the plants out the front garden 

I do this at my GF's and use it on the patio pot plants, as whoever did the plumbing, it takes about 2 minutes for the hot water to get to the kitchen from the hot water cylinder upstairs,,,, only about 3 metres away in a straight line 😆

I'm sure I'd benefit with a water meter, but living alone in a two up, two down with a small garden with only small planting areas, I'm sure I don't use much water. Plus, as I said above,,,, my mains water supplies at least 3 houses, and I'm last on that run. And no, I won't have one fitted in my kitchen where the stopcock is 🤨

[ShootingEgg]

2 hours ago, JKD said:

Not sure what your point is, apart from being unnecessarily argumentative

Unsure how my comments are argumentative? Just pointing out it's still using water and money. But if you like to find that argumentative, crack on 👍🏻

[JKD]

9 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:

Unsure how my comments are argumentative? Just pointing out it's still using water and money. But if you like to find that argumentative, crack on 👍🏻

Your original comment makes no sense. The water refilling the cylinder isn't going to waste 🤷‍♂️🤔

[TOPGUN749]

15 minutes ago, JKD said:

Your original comment makes no sense. The water refilling the cylinder isn't going to waste 🤷‍♂️🤔

Exactly instead of letting the water go down the drain it is being used in the garden while the boiler delivers the hot! Good sense,even more so if on a meter!

[steve_b_wales]

I had a water meter fitted approx' 30 years ago, and it certainly is cheaper. It's gone up in price dramatically over the years with Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) and at present, I pay around £320 per year. There are only two of us and while we don't skimp on water usage, we certainly don't waste any. The annoying thing I don't like is that I get a dual bill for water usage/sewage. Obviously, when the toilet is flushed, water then fills the tank back up, but Welsh Water don't know exactly the amount goes into the tank or how many times it's filled. Through various reasons, our toilet is not used much through the day/night. But, I don't agree with the amount they are charging me. 

[armsid]

I am on a meter costs £200.0 per year ST water and get charged for storm water off the roof but properties opp, have soakaway for roof water and where paying ST same as me but checked with ST they had to repay 15 yrs roof water charges now the bills are lower If you change from rateable value to meter this needs checking

[TOPGUN749]

3 hours ago, JKD said:

His Mrs is filling watering cans with the cold water from the hot tap, before the hot comes through 😉 Can't comment on the water meter option, as I'm the last terraced house on a shared supply 🙄

 

8 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

I had a water meter fitted approx' 30 years ago, and it certainly is cheaper. It's gone up in price dramatically over the years with Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) and at present, I pay around £320 per year. There are only two of us and while we don't skimp on water usage, we certainly don't waste any. The annoying thing I don't like is that I get a dual bill for water usage/sewage. Obviously, when the toilet is flushed, water then fills the tank back up, but Welsh Water don't know exactly the amount goes into the tank or how many times it's filled. Through various reasons, our toilet is not used much through the day/night. But, I don't agree with the amount they are charging me. 

The meter records everything you use,and they charge for about 95% of it going to the sewer drains,and 5% being consumed.From your £320 annual charge you are using 50,000 litres a year,costing £169,with £151 standing charges.(Exactly double my usage on my own) 

You’re paying under half of not having a meter,and could use 3 times as much water before getting near the unmetered charge!

[steve_b_wales]

9 minutes ago, TOPGUN749 said:

 

The meter records everything you use,and they charge for about 95% of it going to the sewer drains,and 5% being consumed.From your £320 annual charge you are using 50,000 litres a year,costing £169,with £151 standing charges.(Exactly double my usage on my own) 

You’re paying under half of not having a meter,and could use 3 times as much water before getting near the unmetered charge!

My water bill shows : Water /standing charge. £24:81 Water volume = £1.832 cubic meter. Sewage standing charge = £4:68. Sewage volume charge £1.221 cubic meter. 

[Bobba]

Thanks one and all. Seems sense to make enquiries of the water board. On a point of clarification we do not have a hot water cylinder but a combo boiler. Mrs B does it this way as we both hate waste.

[steve_b_wales]

1 minute ago, Bobba said:

Thanks one and all. Seems sense to make enquiries of the water board. On a point of clarification we do not have a hot water cylinder but a combo boiler. Mrs B does it this way as we both hate waste.

Combi boiler for us too. Only heat the water you use!

12 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

My water bill shows : Water /standing charge. £24:81 Water volume = £1.832 cubic meter. Sewage standing charge = £4:68. Sewage volume charge £1.221 cubic meter. 

Just checked with a neighbour and she is paying £58:60 per month (not metered) and there's just two of them. A hell of a difference. 

[JKD]

So as I'm unmetered, and have a TW supply and SW waste, my annual bills are,,,,

TW - £143 with a standing charge of £52

SW - £173 with a standing charge of £61

Total per annum, £316.... Single person in a 2 up, 2 down, shower only, no bath.

Obviously i can't change my waste removal company,  but would I be better on metered water ? 🤷‍♂️

4 minutes ago, Bobba said:

Thanks one and all. Seems sense to make enquiries of the water board. On a point of clarification we do not have a hot water cylinder but a combo boiler. Mrs B does it this way as we both hate waste.

I would do the same, but my boiler has a 2 metre pipe run to each of the kitchen sink and the shower, so wouldn't really be worth the effort 🙃

[TOPGUN749]

32 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

Combi boiler for us too. Only heat the water you use!

Just checked with a neighbour and she is paying £58:60 per month (not metered) and there's just two of them. A hell of a difference. 

 

Just now, TOPGUN749 said:

 

Welsh Water latest prices.