Metered charges
Last reviewed: 18.4.2013 - 10.20am
Water meters are the fairest way to pay for your water, as you only pay for the amount of water you use, plus a fixed charge.
Calculating your bill
Metered bills consist of a fixed fee and a charge based on how much water you use. The fixed fee covers costs that don’t change, such as maintaining and replacing pipework and producing bills. The volume charge is based on the reading taken from your meter.
Guidance on what your charges may be
The table below is a guide to what your metered water bill might be, depending on the amount of water you use and the number of people living in your home.
You can compare this to your current charges to decide whether having a water meter would be a cheaper option.
New charges introduced from 1 April 2013 are shown in our guidance charges table.
- What if I can't have a water meter fitted?
Complexities with plumbing installations, particularly in flats, means it’s not always possible to install water meters. In these cases, to help ensure customers who cannot have a water meter get a water bill that better reflects the amount of water they use, a flat-rate tariff is available called the ‘Assessed Household Charge’.
These charges are based on the average consumption of our metered customers, and reflect the number of bedrooms in a property. There is also a Single Occupier Tariff for customers who live alone. These tariffs are only available for customers who have applied for a meter but we have confirmed they cannot have one, as it is either not possible to install one or it would be too expensive to fit.
Free products to help reduce your water consumption and save you money
You can use our water water usage calculator to find out if you are a low, average or high water user.
To help you save up to a quarter of your home’s water-use without you having to do anything, we have a range of products that you can order free of charge. These include water-efficient showerheads that reduce the amount of water you use without reducing the performance of your shower, as well as tap inserts and toilet cistern devices.
The benefit of only using the water you need is that you will see it reflected in your water bill. You can also save on your energy bills by taking shorter showers as you don’t heat as much water.
Your questions answered
If your metered bill seems higher than usual, or if you have any other questions about payment arrangements, how to access and read your meter, or our process of fitting them, please take a look at our frequently asked questions.
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