Thames Water - water meters

[EDmummy101]

We had a meter installed last year. This wasn't requested and I assumed they would fit them for everyone on our road. However, it appears not everyone has a meter. Our bills have increased so I wanted advice. Everything I've read online suggests TW are legally entitled to fit water meters. However, surely they have to do this fairly and for all residents on one road, working through the area?

Can't believe our bills are going to increase so astronomically. Surely this is penalising families or larger households. 

[Sue]

  On 10/04/2025 at 20:14, EDmummy101 said:

We had a meter installed last year. This wasn't requested and I assumed they would fit them for everyone on our road. However, it appears not everyone has a meter. Our bills have increased so I wanted advice. Everything I've read online suggests TW are legally entitled to fit water meters. However, surely they have to do this fairly and for all residents on one road, working through the area?

Can't believe our bills are going to increase so astronomically. Surely this is penalising families or larger households. 

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My water bill halved when I requested and  got a water meter.

There have been threads on the forum about this before, if you do a search.

Households  pay for gas and electricity according to what they use, so surely it is fair that water is the same?

Single people and smaller households could say that it was unfair under the old system, because  they were subsidising families and larger households who were using a lot more water than they were!

If you didn't request a meter, and you think other people in the road haven't got one, haven't you asked Thames Water why they installed one at your house?

[womanofdulwich]

I saw something on the news about blocks of flats / conersions (?)where it's not possible to fit individual meters

[trinidad]

  On 10/04/2025 at 20:46, womanofdulwich said:

I saw something on the news about blocks of flats / conersions (?)where it's not possible to fit individual meters

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Hello Womanofdulwich, I had a meter installed in the summer of last year. Currently my bills have fallen massively. Can you remember which month your water meter was installed? Also I received two appointments, one from a group of staff in orange who decide if the property is suitable for the water meter, and then a second appointment for the meter to be installed, did you have the same thing?

Are you saying as well that you was cold called regarding the water meter, or are you saying someone from Thames water turned up, at your door unannoyed?

 

Lastly (so sorry to through so much questions at you) how many bedrooms do you have and how many people live at the property?

 

 

[EDmummy101]

  On 10/04/2025 at 20:34, Sue said:

My water bill halved when I requested and  got a water meter.

There have been threads on the forum about this before, if you do a search.

Households  pay for gas and electricity according to what they use, so surely it is fair that water is the same?

Single people and smaller households could say that it was unfair under the old system, because  they were subsidising families and larger households who were using a lot more water than they were!

If you didn't request a meter, and you think other people in the road haven't got one, haven't you asked Thames Water why they installed one at your house?

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I am about to tomorrow. I only just realised after asking some neighbours today.

  On 10/04/2025 at 20:34, Sue said:

My water bill halved when I requested and  got a water meter.

There have been threads on the forum about this before, if you do a search.

Households  pay for gas and electricity according to what they use, so surely it is fair that water is the same?

Single people and smaller households could say that it was unfair under the old system, because  they were subsidising families and larger households who were using a lot more water than they were!

If you didn't request a meter, and you think other people in the road haven't got one, haven't you asked Thames Water why they installed one at your house?

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Agreed that smaller households should of course pay less, like discounted council tax bills for those on benefits for example. However as our bills have gone up astronomically generally in the last few years, I do feel hardworking families are being penalised... also avid gardeners will be penalised in the summer when gardens are watered no doubt. 

[Jenijenjen]

  On 10/04/2025 at 20:14, EDmummy101 said:

We had a meter installed last year. This wasn't requested and I assumed they would fit them for everyone on our road. However, it appears not everyone has a meter. Our bills have increased so I wanted advice. Everything I've read online suggests TW are legally entitled to fit water meters. However, surely they have to do this fairly and for all residents on one road, working through the area?

Can't believe our bills are going to increase so astronomically. Surely this is penalising families or larger households. 

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I would check that you have in fact been switched over to paying on usage rather than the old fixed rate system with an annual increase. We had a meter installed 18 months ago but had to request paying on metered consumption. 

[Sue]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/30/water-bills-in-england-and-wales-to-rise-by-123-on-average-this-year?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Edited April 11 by Sue
Adding information about Thames Water bills

[alice]

Thames water needs your permission to switch to the metered rate. 

[Sue]

  On 10/04/2025 at 21:19, EDmummy101 said:

I am about to tomorrow. I only just realised after asking some neighbours today.

Agreed that smaller households should of course pay less, like discounted council tax bills for those on benefits for example. However as our bills have gone up astronomically generally in the last few years, I do feel hardworking families are being penalised... also avid gardeners will be penalised in the summer when gardens are watered no doubt. 

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There is a discount on council tax bills for single people living in a property, presumably because they are using fewer of the amenities provided by the council than a couple or a  family would.

The discount for people "on benefits", as you put it, is for entirely different reasons.

Also, surely one of the  points of water meters is to encourage people to use less water, and not to waste it unnecessarily?

"Avid gardeners" do not have to use a lot of water. If they have space, they can have water butts which store rain water,  and will probably in many cases have changed at least some of their  plants to those which can cope better with drought, because of climate change.

They are not being "penalised"!  If they are on a meter, they are paying for the water they use, along with everybody else! If they choose to use a lot of water on their garden, then that's up to them!

Edited 17 hours ago by Sue

[kp4]

I live in a flat conversion and we had also the water meters installed, last year. However, TW workers did not check properly which meter belongs to each flat and they connected us incorrectly. My meter was connected to 2 flats so my usage was unusually high and I had usage when I was away from home. We had to call TW to come out and amend the meters which was a pain to do. 

Maybe you need to check with TW if you are connected correctly and not to other properties. You can also see your usage online. 

[ctovey]

There are 2 of us in our house. A few weeks after we had a water meter installed and before we received our first bill, TW told us that we should be paying £70 per month to ensure we did not go into arrears. We refused to change our DD and carried on paying £40 per month.  When we eventually received our first metered bill, our usage was only about £25 per month and we were, in fact well in credit!  Also, only receiving a bill every 6 months is not very helpful, as we find it very difficult to keep tabs on what we are spending.

[Sue]

I think probably the OP is still on the old non metered system if they haven't actually signed up to the meter which was installed?

If so,  the amount of water used won't affect their bill.

As posted above, water bills in this area have gone up/will go up (not sure which) by more than 30%, so that would be a big increase regardless of a meter, if I've understood it correctly.

I think we are paying for the privatisation of Thames Water and their greed and inefficiency, basically, but what would I know? 

Edited April 11 by Sue

[BM13]

As mentioned above, one needs to request TW specifically in writing to be witch to metered paying system, they will not do it automatically despite forcefully installed water meter. From our experience, we benefited a lot by switching, even with watering our small garden occasionally.

[Sue]

  On 11/04/2025 at 18:57, BM13 said:

As mentioned above, one needs to request TW specifically in writing to be witch to metered paying system, they will not do it automatically despite forcefully installed water meter. From our experience, we benefited a lot by switching, even with watering our small garden occasionally.

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Before I switched, if memory serves there was some sort of thing on Thames Water's website which you could use to determine whether or not you would be better off with a meter.

No idea if it's still there.

Also, I have a vague recollection that if you found you were worse off financially with the meter after a certain time period, you could switch back.

Have I imagined that?

Whatever, I don't actually recall hearing of anyone who thought they were worse off with a meter, though I'm sure there must be some.

[ctovey]

When meters were installed along our road, we were told by TW that we had a choice to change to the meter for a certain period, but after about a year, we HAD to change to the meter.

[Sue]

  On 12/04/2025 at 10:57, ctovey said:

When meters were installed along our road, we were told by TW that we had a choice to change to the meter for a certain period, but after about a year, we HAD to change to the meter.

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Maybe they have changed the system, or maybe I've just forgotten how it works. Mine was installed as a one off after I requested it (having worked out that it would save money).

Yes, it would seem odd for Thames Water to install a meter which wasn't requested,  but then not to communicate anything at all to the house occupants, especially if neighbours in the same road said they didn't have a meter!

I'm wondering what TW said to EDmummy101 when she contacted them?

[Sue]

Article in today's Grauniad on how to save money on water bills.

Though only if you are  on a meter. If you aren't on a meter, there's nothing you can do to reduce your bills, so far as I know.

Though from an environmental point of view etc I guess it is always good to reduce your water usage where you can.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/apr/16/cut-water-bill-england-wales-best-ways-to-save?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Edited Wednesday at 09:44 by Sue

[malumbu]

  On 10/04/2025 at 21:19, EDmummy101 said:

I am about to tomorrow. I only just realised after asking some neighbours today.

Agreed that smaller households should of course pay less, like discounted council tax bills for those on benefits for example. However as our bills have gone up astronomically generally in the last few years, I do feel hardworking families are being penalised... also avid gardeners will be penalised in the summer when gardens are watered no doubt. 

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No sympathy, collect rain water, reuse grey water from the house.  Plant drought gardens.  Have yellow grass in the summer, it will turn green again,.  Not sure why on earth we have this term hard working families - suggests that everyone else is lazy.  Kids cost money and that can continue until they are well into adulthood!  You make your own choices, and it is right that if you use more water you pay more.  I expect most of us have cut our water usage since going onto a meter.

[EDmummy101]

  On 11/04/2025 at 07:11, Sue said:

There is a discount on council tax bills for single people living in a property, presumably because they are using fewer of the amenities provided by the council than a couple or a  family would.

Also, surely one of the  points of water meters is to encourage people to use less water, and not to waste it unnecessarily?

"Avid gardeners" do not have to use a lot of water. If they have space, they can have water butts which store rain water,  and will probably in many cases have changed at least some of their  plants to those which can cope better with drought, because of climate change.

They are not being "penalised"!  If they are on a meter, they are paying for the water they use, along with everybody else! If they choose to use a lot of water on their garden, then that's up to them!

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Many are enduring the cost of living crisis. Whilst I feel for single people living alone, the point is many families also feel squeezed financially so you saying it's fairer for larger households to pay more for water consumption is a bit mean spirited. There are many many situations people find themselves in and one could also argue that single people living alone in 3 bedroom houses are disadvantaging families by taking up more space than needed. The discussion could go right down a rabbit hole.

The basic point is water should be free. It was until privatisation and now it feels like yet another tax on working families. 

  On 16/04/2025 at 11:58, malumbu said:

No sympathy, collect rain water, reuse grey water from the house.  Plant drought gardens.  Have yellow grass in the summer, it will turn green again,.  Not sure why on earth we have this term hard working families - suggests that everyone else is lazy.  Kids cost money and that can continue until they are well into adulthood!  You make your own choices, and it is right that if you use more water you pay more.  I expect most of us have cut our water usage since going onto a meter.

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I'm using the term hardworking families because we've been hard hit by many increasing bills. That isn't to take away from single people or those without kids. Obviously everything (well most things) are choices.

Everyone is entitled to free speech last time I checked. Why does the term hardworking families bother you so much?! Jeez...

[Sue]

  On 16/04/2025 at 20:08, EDmummy101 said:

Many are enduring the cost of living crisis. Whilst I feel for single people living alone, the point is many families also feel squeezed financially so you saying it's fairer for larger households to pay more for water consumption is a bit mean spirited. There are many many situations people find themselves in and one could also argue that single people living alone in 3 bedroom houses are disadvantaging families by taking up more space than needed. The discussion could go right down a rabbit hole.

The basic point is water should be free. It was until privatisation and now it feels like yet another tax on working families. 

I'm using the term hardworking families because we've been hard hit by many increasing bills. That isn't to take away from single people or those without kids. Obviously everything (well most things) are choices.

Everyone is entitled to free speech last time I checked. Why does the term hardworking families bother you so much?! Jeez...

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Before privatisation people paid for water  through water rates. How do you think it could be provided free?

Do you think larger families should also not pay for the full amount of the gas and electricity they use, because they've been "hard hit by many increasing bills"?

You started this thread to ask for advice on your increased water bill, and appeared to think it was because you were being charged according to a meter which had been installed by Thames Water although you hadn't requested it.

Several people have given you advice and information which hopefully was useful. So what was the outcome of your call to Thames Water?

As for your jibe about single people living in 3 bedroom houses (I am one of them, though the "third bedroom" is an extremely small office which wouldn't even have room for a single bed)  "disadvantaging families by taking up more space than needed", you have no idea of people's background and circumstances and how they came to be in that situation.

In any case, what on earth has that got to do with your water meter, and why shouldn't I have a spare bedroom for when my family  and grandchildren come and stay?

Edited Wednesday at 22:06 by Sue

[QueenMab]

I got a water meter installed last year. I was told it would work out cheaper but it has turned out to be more expensive (we are only a 2 person household). I would hold off getting a meter wherever possible. 

[Sue]

  On 16/04/2025 at 21:28, QueenMab said:

I got a water meter installed last year. I was told it would work out cheaper but it has turned out to be more expensive (we are only a 2 person household). I would hold off getting a meter wherever possible. 

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Sorry to hear that. 

Whether it works out cheaper depends entirely on the amount of water you use.

You used to be able to work out via a calculation on Thames Water's website whether it would work out cheaper in your particular situation, to decide whether or not to have a meter installed.

I don't know whether you still can, but once you've had it installed it's probably too late, although I think it used to be that you could change back to the old billing system if the meter wasn't saving you money?

Edited Wednesday at 21:39 by Sue

[first mate]

It may be good to check the meter is not malfunctioning; this can happen. Equally there may be a slow leak. If TW were sure metering would reduce your bills- I think there is some kind of comparison transition period, where they get a sense of how much water you actually use- then I'd think it is worth checking.

[QueenMab]

  On 16/04/2025 at 21:36, Sue said:

Sorry to hear that. 

Whether it works out cheaper depends entirely on the amount of water you use.

You used to be able to work out via a calculation on Thames Water's website whether it would work out cheaper in your particular situation, to decide whether or not to have a meter installed.

I don't know whether you still can, but once you've had it installed it's probably too late, although I think it used to be that you could change back to the old billing system if the meter wasn't saving you money?

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Yeah that was their old policy. Their new policy is to force you to have a water meter and if you refuse they put you on a punitively high tariff which effectively forces you to have one. I was doing well with my policy of polite resistance which was to say yes fine I'll have one fitted but then not actually book an appointment or cancel the appointments they made. But then I was persuaded that it would be much cheaper anyway.