Switch to a Water Meter and Save £100+ Per Year on Your Water Bill

You Might Be Paying for Water You Don't Use

In England and Wales, if you don't have a water meter, you pay a fixed annual charge based on the rateable value of your property — a system last updated in 1990. This means your bill is based on what your home was theoretically worth 35 years ago, not how much water you actually use.

The result: many households — especially small ones — overpay significantly. According to the Consumer Council for Water, switching to a meter saves the average household of 1-2 people approximately £100-200 per year.

Who Saves Money With a Meter?

You'll probably save if:

• You live alone or with one other person
• Your property has a high rateable value (larger or older properties)
• You're not home during the day (at work, no one using water)
• You don't have a garden that needs regular watering
• You don't take multiple baths per day
• Your household uses less water than average

You might not save if:

• You have a large family (4+ people)
• You have a large garden you water regularly
• You fill a paddling pool, hot tub, or swimming pool
• Multiple household members take long showers or daily baths

The sweet spot for savings is 1-3 person households in properties with above-average rateable values.

The Zero-Risk Switch

Here's the part most people don't know: if you switch to a water meter and your bills go up, you can switch back to unmetered billing within the first 12 months — in most water company areas.

This effectively makes the switch risk-free. Try it for a year. If you save, keep the meter. If you don't, revert.

To switch, contact your water company (the company that sends your bill) and request a meter installation. By law, they must install one if you request it. The installation is free and usually happens within a few weeks.

Some older properties can't have a meter physically installed (e.g., shared supply pipes in converted flats). In this case, you're entitled to a metered tariff assessment — your water company calculates an estimated metered bill based on your property and household size. If this estimate is lower than your current bill, you can switch to the assessed tariff.

Real Savings Examples

Household	Unmetered Bill	Metered Bill	Annual Saving
1 person, 2-bed flat	£420	£250	£170
2 people, 3-bed house	£500	£350	£150
Couple, 4-bed house (high RV)	£650	£380	£270
Family of 4, 3-bed house	£500	£480	£20
Family of 5, 3-bed house	£500	£560	-£60

These are illustrative averages. Your actual saving depends on your water usage, property rateable value, and local water company rates.

How to Check Before Switching

Use the Consumer Council for Water's calculator at ccw.org.uk. Enter your details and it estimates whether you'd save by switching. This takes 5 minutes and gives you a good indication before committing.

You can also ask your water company for a metered bill estimate. Some companies offer a shadow billing service where they install the meter but continue billing you at the unmetered rate for the first year, so you can compare.

Reducing Water Usage (Simple Wins)

Whether or not you have a meter, using less water saves money (with a meter) and is environmentally sensible:

Shower vs bath: A typical shower uses 40 litres vs 80 litres for a bath. Switching one bath per week to a shower saves about 2,000 litres per year.

Fix dripping taps: A dripping tap wastes approximately 5,500 litres per year — visible on a metered bill.

Full loads only: Run your washing machine and dishwasher only with full loads. Modern machines use the same water regardless of load size.

Dual-flush toilet: If your toilet has a dual flush, use the smaller flush when possible. If it doesn't, placing a Hippo bag or filled plastic bottle in the cistern reduces flush volume by 1-3 litres.

Garden water butt: Collect rainwater for garden use. A 200-litre water butt costs £20-40 and saves metered water throughout summer.

WaterSure Tariff (Capped Bills)

If you have a water meter AND meet one of these criteria:

• You or someone in your household has a medical condition requiring extra water use
• You have three or more children under 19 living at home

You can apply for WaterSure, which caps your metered water bill at the average household bill for your water company area. This prevents high-use households from facing excessive metered bills.

Contact your water company to apply. You'll need to provide evidence of your qualifying condition.