17 May 2006
The installation of water meters in the homes of people in London is "inevitable", according to the capital's mayor.
Ken Livingstone said that the measure would become necessary in order to curb consumption.
Currently, most customers are still paying a bill based on an estimate of how much water they use. Water metering would mean consumers would be charged based on an accurate figure of the amount consumed in their household.
The industry regulator Ofwat is said to be in favour of water metering as a way of reducing consumption, but some consumer pressure groups are less keen on the solution.
Some believe that low income families would lose out if water metering were introduced.
The news comes soon after the UK saw the introduction of the first drought order for over a decade.
Sutton and East Surrey Water was granted the order, which bans the use of hosepipes and sprinklers.
See how much you could save on your water bill with uSwitch.com
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.