Will a water meter save you money?

If you don’t have a water meter you’ll be paying a fixed monthly price. This doesn’t change if you use a lot or a little water.

A water meter, on the other hand, will change what you pay dependent on your use. But it could mean you pay more if you’re a heavy water user. 

Since most water rates are calculated based on the size of the property, if there are more bedrooms than people living in a house then there’s a good chance you will save, but it’s important to check the figures first.

You can do this by contacting your water supplier to find out if they think you’ll save. There’s also a calculator at www.ccwater.org.uk/watermetercalculator/. 

It’s free to get a meter fitted in England and Wales. It’ll cost around £300 to get one installed in Scotland. Those of you in Northern Ireland don’t need to worry about it as there are no water charges.

If you decide to go ahead, you’ll probably need to have the property surveyed to check if it’s possible. If so, your water company should install it within three months.

Sometimes it’s not possible to install a meter, but if that happens you can ask for an “assessed charge” which is based on the average meter bills and could be cheaper.

It’s worth knowing know that you can only switch back within the first 12 months, so if you think your living situation could change after that you might decide it’s better to wait.

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