Won over by water meters: 10m sign-up but does everyone save?

According to Southern Water, one of the biggest suppliers in England, 62pc of households are better off having switched to a metered supply, saving an average £159 a year. But those who are worse off after the change lose more: the 38pc for whom the switch to a meter has resulted in higher bills pay an average of £177 more per year.

The supplier has been implementing compulsory water metering for the past four years as part of a five-year programme. “Meters are being fitted because the South East has been classified as an area of serious water stress by the Government and households on a meter tend to use 10pc‑18pc less water,” a spokesman for Southern Water said.

“When our programme ends in 2015, approximately 30 million litres of water will be saved every day. Therefore, the introduction of water meters will help protect the environment and preserve precious water resources.”

A household on a meter will be charged for each cubic metre of water used, so larger families face much higher bills. As the average family size in Britain is below two children, it’s easy to see why most households end up saving money.

Thames Water, Britain’s largest water supplier an another that covers a region prone to water shortages, said it hoped to get 80pc of its customers on a water meter by 2025.

Subhas Bairy and his wife, Divye, estimate their savings to be more than £200 after installing a water meter with Thames Water two years ago.

Mr Bairy, an IT engineer from Reading, decided to install the meter after realising that his family could save more money by being careful with their water consumption, rather than being charged according to the home’s rateable value – a fixed assessment made some time between 1973 and 1990, which takes into account details such as the size of your home and the number of people living in it.

Mr Bairy – father of Sannidhi, six, and Ashlesh, two – took a proactive approach to using less water. By using a water butt to water the garden, rather than a hose, for example, he has seen his bills fall from an average £550 a year to £350.

“The water meter was free to install and it means we save more money as a family because we keep tabs on our water use,” Mr Bairy said.

I might save by getting a meter now, but what about my future bills?

Being on a meter offers less control of future bills and the cost of water will inevitably rise both as a result of increased demand and because of the cost of maintaining or replacing infrastructure. Thames Water said: “If nothing is done to reduce water demand, by 2020 there will be a shortfall in the amount of water available of 133 million litres per day, trebling to 414  million litres by 2040. This is equivalent to the water needed by two million people.”

If you do request a meter, you can ask for it to be removed within one year. After that, it has to stay. If you buy a property with a meter, you cannot have it removed.

Several companies are in any case forcing households on to meters. These include Southern Water, South East Water and Thames Water. Many companies give away water-saving devices including hose nozzles and shower heads.

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