At the bungalow we are expecting to use much less water than a normal residence so it seems sensible to consider having a water meter fitted. We'd only pay for what we use and research has shown that having a meter fitted encourages water saving which is all good for the planet - yay!
The provider is Severn Trent Water and they've got a handy gadget Water Footprint Calculator that works out what you probably use and good ways to save water.
Marcel from the moneysavingexpert says:
"As a rough rule of thumb, if there are more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people, check out getting a meter."
In England, the water companies should fit a water meter for free which makes it better odds that you'll save money. Scottish companies can charge so it's not such an attractive offer.
The meters are fitted just before the main stopcock on the mains side. Once fitted, you're not allowed to interfere with the mains side of it. If possible, and it was at the Fleepit, the water company fit one that will transmit the reading to meter readers without them needing to gain access to the property. This feature is great for us as we're usually only in 2 days a week.
Have we saved money?
We had the water meter fitted in April 2014. Before it was fitted, the invoice for 1st Apr 2014 to 31st Mar 2015 was over £350 which we paid by monthly direct debit.
Once the water meter was fitted, you don't get an annual bill, but are charged for what you use plus a standing charge. Our monthly payments were reduced by about about 25% and then by another 60%.
In the same 12 months we've made a saving of:
£214.82!
Clearly, there wouldn't be the same saving if the Fleepit was our full-time residence but I'm really pleased with this.
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