Who should switch to a water meter?

You should switch to a water meter if your household uses less water than you are being charged for under the rateable value for your property. To find out if this includes you use our free water switching service.

With a water meter, you pay for what you use. So if you don’t use much water, you will save money switching to one. We can calculate how much water you use, but here are some reasons you may use less than you pay for:

• you are out of the house during the day
• there are fewer people living in the property than there are bedrooms
• you take showers instead of baths
• you use an energy efficient washing machine
• you rarely water the garden
• you have a dual flush toilet or use a save-a-flush or hippo
• you turn the tap off while brushing your teeth

Your water supplier can refuse to install a meter if it’s too difficult or expensive to do so. For example, if shared pipes need to be separated. Otherwise, you are entitled to a free meter from your water supplier. If you are refused, you can pay for the necessary work yourself, and then request a meter.

If installing a meter is impossible, then your supplier should offer you an assessed charge, where you pay a bill based on your estimated usage or what other metered customers in your area pay. You are also unable to switch if you’re a short term rental tenant. But, if you’re renting your property for more than six months, you can have a meter installed.

If you live in Northern Ireland, your water and sewerage expenses are currently covered by the Government’s budget. There has been talk of changing this, so stay posted. Until then, there’s no point switching to a meter.