Water and energy meters

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Been a while since I ventured to these parts, as house DIY work has just overrun me entirely.

Carpets to lay, fireplace to order, kitchens to design. Way more effort than I naively expected.

I received my water bill for the next year, which was £530. As I’m unmetered, the bill is based on the value of the house probably from 30-40 years ago.

Has anyone made the switch to a water meter? Is it a money saving item? Same question but for smart energy meters. I’m not sold on them myself.

 

[Dave Rice]

Smart meters, not for me as my solar panels make the meter go backwards on extremely sunny days. Not that that happens that often, but smart meters wouldn’t add anything for me anyway on reducing my usage.

Water meters, absolutely. Ours can be remotely read from a sensor outside the house. When we first moved in this didn’t work properly and Wessex Water estimated our use sort of based on the rating system as being a new house there was no history. It was twice what the actual usage turned out to be. It was a massive fight but I managed to get a refund.

Now the kids have moved out and it’s just the two of us, usage has dropped again and the bills will be going down when Wessex (like energy suppliers) finally admit our DD is too high.

[Richard]

It is very dependant on your water consumption patterns. With three people always in the house and a wife who is a bit fanatical about turning taps on it currently costs a fortune. About £600 p.a. However with two people working and perhaps doing a few machine washes per week and perhaps showers rather than long bath time soaks it could be less than half of our figure and perhaps less than that. Try to see what similar households are paying in your area.

As for meter readings, I am having a right royal spat with my old and new utility supplier. The meter reading taken by their reader minion turned out to be very wrong. I did not spot the stupid error until later but by then it had been entered on the national error log*. It appears almost impossible to get the mistake corrected. So having over billed in effect for more than 2 quarters consumption in one, the stupid system is now estimating a consumption going forward which is impossible to correct. We have still not reached the September reading and probably will not until the end of the year. I have raised a formal complaint and await developments.

*The national error log is the corrected name for the place where all meter readings are logged, real, imaginary, sensible or straight out stupid. So whenever a meter reader takes a reading I suggest that you demand to know what they have recorded and if it is wrong insist on a correction there and then. If it is left for a few days, it becomes almost impossible to correct .

This is not a good time for more troubles, my wife went into hospital for a day case today, however it went badly. She had to be revived and intubated to allow her to breathe as she reacted badly to something and swelling closed her airway. She could not be found space in the high dependency unit, standing room only there, so she is parked in a recovery suite. I feel a difficult night lies ahead wondering and waiting. Tomorrow disabled daughter has a vital appointment with her specialist. Can I please have a few more (fitter) me to sort out the messes life is creating?

[The Duke]

Me and my neighbour have a single feed that goes through both houses. About ten years ago my then single neighbour, knocked to ask if we would have a meter put in, as she wanted one, and the water board said I had to agree if she was to have one.

At the time we had 7 in the house, so I politely de line the offer. I felt a little sorry for her, but she said she never thought I’d go for it anyway.

I think it all depends on how much water you use, if you use little, a meter may be best, if your a high consumer, hell no.

 

Also once you swap to a new one metered meter, you’ll not be able to switch back.

I’m a) fan for energy and consumption saving, but at the same time I’d rather not give more money to rich companies. I recon I need it more.

[Dave Rice]

Richard, sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope it ends well.

I had the same problem with Scottish Energy screwing up the gas readings in the national system, but it can be resolved. Ovo (the next supplier) did it for me in 2015 but it took them a while. I switched to Bristol Energy last January and the estimates have been sensible, if the usual tipped in their favour.

[Anonymous]

The Duke wrote:

Also once you swap to a new one metered meter, you’ll not be able to switch back.

 

Actually I have 2 years from install date to decide if I’m happy with it or I can revert back, so it is a bit of a no brainer reallyn to at least try it. Before I get that installed though I’m going to get a few issues sorted out. Downstairs loo seems to have a constant trickle at the back no matter what I do to it.

Energy meters I’ve heard issues with security and also the current set go back to being dumb meters if you switch provider. But there’s a new meter coming next year I believe which will work across providers.

As others have said, I’m looking for efficiency in my appliances but am no ecowarrior so won’t go completely out of my way to do things greener, but don’t want to waste energy unnecessarily.

[Richard]

Thanks Dave, she is still in the HDU (annex) but croaked that she might go onto a ward later.  She is desperate to get home but the reality does not appear to have fully hit her.  She might escape by evening but maybe tomorrow, or?. Apparently long service staff said they have not see its like before, so I am not expecting early developments. but could hopefully be surprised.She sounded very fragile this morning, but no surprise there.

Shortly I’m off to the specialist with disabled daughter – Mum is usually her carer so the appointment could become ‘interesting’. For the moment daughter appears OK; thank goodness this did not happen a few weeks back when she was very seriously disturbed.

[The Duke]

@freakshow I never knew that. I don’t think it was like that in 2005. Or I never knew if it was.

But for a house of 7, 7 showers/baths, lots of toilets flushing, and 4 plus machine washes a day, was never gonna be cheaper.

[Bob Williams]

Richard I am sorry to hear of your troubles, you are really having it rough, our troubles here pale into insignificance. I hope that your wife is soon in a better situation and you are able to cope with your daughter. Please don’t feel you have to respond here atm, if you lack time and/or energy to do so.

Water: we are with Anglian Water, with a water meter which was installed when we moved here in 2003. Our current annual charge is £486.47. They are currently working in our area and are about halfway through installing new mains, pumps and piping throughout a large area of East Lindsey. Over the last 6 years or so, they have installed new sewer drains throuhout our village and others, and laid a whole new water supply overland from Covenham Reservoir* to Boston. That is about 40 miles and caused alot of disruption, but some happy farmers who were paid large sums to allow work over their lands. Considering the work they have done, and have planned, I am not going to quibble about the cost to us. They inherited a broken, ancient system, as did many of the utility companies I would suppose. Anglian are a good company, IMO.

Energy: We are with EDF for gas & leccy, have been for >5 years and are happy with them. Currently, we pay £83/month for both, the tariff being their August 18 Online Saver. Just sent a reading last night, received a bill online today. No change. Thanks to the cold Autumn here and more inclement recent weather, we had the heating on all day for several days. We expected an increase from £89 in October after a previous reading, we received a reduction to £83 instead and there is a healthy Credit balance atm. Their website is a model for others, the chatline works well and gives good, knowledgeable responses. I won’t switch whilst it stays like that. They helped us enormously during the meter problems we had when the GCH was installed: gave us an overcharge refund, compensation, and took action against Northern Energy on our behalf, to get more compensation. I know that we might save a few quid if we switch, but customer service like that is rare IMO.

*Marked in red on Map:

There is a Sailing Club there, with a great restaurant. It is on a large hill, from where you can see for miles and there is a 5-mile walk around it. SWMBO and I have walked it, it’s beautiful on a good day. Some rare insects and moths have made it their home.

A geography and Nature lesson this time!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

FS -generally speaking if you do not have kids, but have a biggish house without much garden then you will gain by moving to a meter. Once kids come along washing clothes and dishes eats water.As usual it is a tax on the young and poor.

[Bob Williams]

Water butts are also good if you have a garden to water. I only have two downpipes, but have fitted one butt to each downpipe. Make sure the base is level: I put a 600 x 600mm slab under mine, after levelling the ground, before measuring and aligning the butts to the pipe, which is critical: get it wrong and the runoff either goes down the pipe or overflows the butt. This is what happened to my neighbour, who paid a “handyman” to do it. I removed them and did it properly, he was definitely not handy.

I heartily second this:   ” Once kids come along washing clothes and dishes eats water. As usual it is a tax on the young and poor. ”

My single-parent son has 2 adult kids living with him, a 19 yo son and 21 yo daughter. He pays significantly more than we do, as 2 seniors in a bungalow. We help out both him and our daughter by doing a limited amount of washing for them both. I know how long my 19 yo gson takes to shower, because he occasionally has one here when I pick him up from work, when he is going straight out with mates. I could shower about 3 times in the same time!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

You just reminded me of ‘quick changes’  bob ??

One thing I don’t miss from basic.

[Richard]

Well I guess this nigh on 72 year old should take the bit about a tax on the young as being a complement on my youthful age. Somehow disabled daughter, wife and self still manage to use rather more water than our 29 year old daughter does with two kids and a husband. Mind you she watches the water like a bird of prey watches for food.

I cannot blame SWMBO wanting to wash away the effects of our local death camp – the one pretending to be a hospital. After a serious case of anaphylaxis in the recovery room she was sent home yesterday evening. She was only given a directive to prise an epipen out of the GP. So with no identified cause and without providing any overnight coverage another attack could happen at anytime. The GP was seriously ‘unimpressed’. Sadly the nurses in the recovery room appeared pleasant enough if hard to understand, there were certainly enough of them. Organisation and direction were another matter. It is quite popular to criticise the level of parasitic management sat on top of the NHS, but some floor level supervisory and organisational capability would be nice.

[Drezha]

Apparently, I’ve been told by United Utilities that I don’t and cannot have a meter fitted. Not entirely sure how or why, but hey ho. We’re potentially planning for a family in the future, so I guess I won’t dig to deep!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Author]

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