EEDA - East of England Development Agency

With rising water bills, Waterwise East says "install a meter to save money"

15 August 2008

With new rises in water bills announced this week, now is the time to install a water meter and start saving money says EEDA-supported Waterwise East.

“A water meter helps consumers understand exactly how much they use on a daily basis.  It is the fairest way of paying for water as it ensures you only pay for what you use,” says Andrew Pitt at Waterwise East.  “On average we all use about 150 litres of water a day, and of that, around 50 litres is wasted. By making a few small changes in behaviour, and installing water efficient products, we could reduce wastage and save on our water bills.” 

Metered dwellings use on average 10% less water than un-metered ones. Metering, when combined with new tariff structures, water conservation messages and incentives for water efficiency, can lead to big long-term reductions in water wastage and large monetary savings.

Fiona Bryant, Head of Sustainable Development at EEDA said: “Most of us have to tighten our belts a bit during the credit crunch so installing a meter can help businesses, individuals and families budget better, save money and use water more efficiently.”

“In one of the driest regions in the country, EEDA is supporting a number of projects such as Waterwise East, that are successfully helping individuals, businesses,  and developers, to  find solutions to managing their water use more efficiently now and in the future.”

Only 30 per cent of people in the UK have a water meter. The rest pay a fixed rate for their water based on the rateable value of their home in 1970.  This antiquated system is not a fair way of charging for water. Waterwise believe that the UK should move towards full metering as soon as possible.  While most families will benefit from being on a water meter, Waterwise believe it is essential that large, low-income families are protected. Metering is the fairest way of paying for water and allows for the introduction of tariffs to protect vulnerable customers.

Andrew Pitt says:

“In the face of climate change and the need to build more and more homes for us to live in, we all need to waste less water, through simple measures like turning the tap off when we brush our teeth, taking shorter showers rather than baths, and only using the washing machine when it’s full. Paying for what we use certainly helps us to appreciate the true cost of water.”

For more ways to save water visit www.waterwise-east.org.uk

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