Me and the Mrs have been thinking of having a water meter fitted in an attempt to save a few quid,

We live in a 4 bed house but there’s only the two of us, both out most of the day, water the garden from a 1000 ltr plastic tank connected to the guttering which is nearly always brimming 😯

Rarely wash the cars, only a couple of bike washes by hose a week.

Any real world examples of changing to meter and savings made?

Similar situation here – 2 of us in a 3 bed house and no silly usage. Bills went down by half from £35 to £18 a month. I think if you get one installed you can change your mind back to the rateable charge within 6 or 12 months. The next owners of the house get stuck with the meter though, but it’s only a matter of time before everyone has to have on…

You’d probably be better doing the maths yourself.

Count how many times you go to the toilet. 6 L per flush for a modern toilet.
How many baths. 150L ?
How many showers (and for how long?) 10L / min ? but depends on type
How many loads of washing ? 50L per load for a modern machine?
How many dishwasher loads ? 15L per load for a modern machine
Dishes in the sink? 10L a time?
Bike wash with hose? 50L each?
Teethbrushing – 2 mins at 2L / min? twice a day, for two of you
Cooking, general cleaning etc – 3L per day per person?

Then you need to work out the cost based on your local rates…

Over this side of the water Germans find it completely odd that the Brits pay a standard fee for a utility rather than being metered.

Based on what you say probably, no guarantee but there was a thread a while back on it.

Having said that though there was a report last year about meters that use a little fly wheel. Basically if for larger quantities of water they were pretty accurate but for shorter blasts not so as the wheel would turn a few times after the water flow had stopped. Which meant you were gifting the water companies money.

Hi, i’m on a water meter, I literally use hardly any water at all but you still get these standing charges which are really annoying. I have to pay about £50 per 6 months for my water bill but 90% of that is standing charges

The water bill for my barber shop went over £500 3 years ago. There are two of us working there and we hardly wash anybody’s hair.

I now pay £120 a year. I think as a general rule if your under occupied and watering from a water but it must be worth a try.

Recent thread
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/my-water-bill-will-a-meter-really-make-a-difference

Article in Guardian Money the other weekend:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/feb/09/why-get-water-meter-cut-bill

I also imagine if you knew how much water you used you could tell? How about fitting a meter??

I have to pay about £50 per 6 months for my water bill but 90% of that is standing charges

That’ll be for the cost of getting the water to your house, taking your poo away (depending on which one it is) and taking away the rain that falls on your house and land. All that infrastructure needs maintaining and there’s an awful lot of it.

The good news is you may be able to talk to your water company, depending on which one it is, to let them know you don’t want them to take away rainwater, you’ll do it from now on thanks. You’ll save a fortune!

Good luck, and keep their phone number handy, once you realise just how much water they do take away for you, you’ll probably change your mind quite quickly.

And I’ve just realised what you wrote.

£100 a year for reliable, clean, fresh water all the time? That’s annoying?
It’s a billy bargain and no mistake.

OP– washing your ‘member’ must take a fair bit of water…..