Thames water smart meters, are they really compulsory now.

Posted 14th Oct 2022

thameswater.co.uk/hel…ter

Are smart water meters compulsory now?

I am trying not to put one as I have sprinkler system in the garden, I could imagine my water bill would go through the roof if I decide to put one.

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14th Oct
We have had one for years as my wife confessed that we used a sprinkler. I came home recently to find holes being dug outside neighbouring properties. There was no indication of what these were for, so I asked. All were for water meters. No idea when they will be implemented, but they have been put in place. The neighbours had no idea about this.

I have no idea if they are "smart", but I recently had to switch off the water at the meter for work in the house and it was filled with gravel from the drive. No idea how they did the recent reading, but it was pretty accurate as far as I could see (they definitely used to have someone come along during the night to take the reading as I woke up on occasions due to this).
23 h, 52 m ago
Meter reading is done over the air on a lot of meters, just need to drive near by to read them all (edited)
23 h, 10 m ago
I am very happy with the meter. My bill dropped from £30 per month to £20. And I am no longer subsidising those with sprinklers.
19 h, 37 m ago
Same here my bill dropped hugely.
23 h, 55 m ago
Yep, most people are better off, best we all pay for what we use.not what others use.
22 h, 28 m ago
Except when the children come home with 20 minute showers.

Thames water contacted us as one point to ask if we had a leak as the usage had doubled. Truth was that my daughter had decided that girls do smell after all- I was having to beat on the bathroom door and threaten her to get out (turning off the pump threat!).
20 h, 54 m ago
Had a meter fitted, they wanted more money. They allowed me to revert back as it was within 30 days.
11 h, 41 m ago
I'd never have a meter if I can help it.
Rather pay rates and use it freely without stress or worry.
20 h, 37 m ago
I’d love to know how they read these meters. Ours is filthy and I really struggled to get a reading when we moved in. Never actually seen anyone read them.
19 h, 52 m ago
I had the same problem when i was leaving last place, i couldnt read it but was told a Van drives pasts collecting the data OTA.
20 h, 26 m ago
Mines in my kitchen as the guy couldn't reach far enough into the hole under the cover on the street, they've never needed access so I presume it's drive by readings as my bills fluctuate every so often.
2 h, 4 m ago
I had one installed now coming up to 2 years. Like others I wasn’t even aware that they would be doing this until I heard a noise outside early one morning.

I fired off an email and was told quite bluntly that this was now a compulsory initiative backed by the government and that once it was installed there was no going back. A few back and fourth emails and the meter is still there.

They give 2 years of what would be the water bill to try and give you an idea of how much you will be charged when it goes live. For me it will go live, there are 5 in the house and the last bill stated we are using the water for 9 people

Not much else to do apart from pay as my kids just don’t seem to want to change to use less water!
25 m ago
Our house is a 4 bed. But only 2 living here.
Like I've said I'd rather pay a set amount and use whatever we want. My dad in a 1 bed bungalow went from no meter bungalow to one with a meter. He pays double now with that meter. Meanwhile across the road in his old place they pay less without the meter.
Funny that in a 1 bungalow ur better off without a meter. They are obviously making £££ off pensioners.
1 m ago
The water company's have for some time had the option of compulsory metering for those areas where there is water stress. London is one of those areas. In the past some of the smart meters have been where someone may have to drive past to get a reading however there are now meters that are like gas and electric smart meters and usage can be taken every 30 minutes.

This can be a positive as it should allow leaks to be discovered quicker for example of there is a constant low water use. Sometimes these can go years without being noticed and cause damage to the property eg. Leaking under a concrete floor causing damage underneath.
For a lot of places a water meter will be better off, we went from £550 a year to £240 on a meter.

Unfortunately for some people they have misconceptions of water meters for example they work like a prepayment gas meter and water will be stopped if they run out of credit. Other people just set against them. Once remember someone paying over £800 a year on rates living by themselves but adamant they didn't want a meter.