Are you paying too much for your water? If you’re not using a lot of water and you’re billed on a set tariff you might be! If you’d like to pay for the water you use, instead of the general rateable amount, you could apply for a free water meter. Just call your supplier, or get in touch using their website.
If your bills still aren’t lower, you can have the meter removed and go back to paying water rates. If you want to do this, you need to switch back within 12 months, or a month after your second bill.
If you have moved into a home which already has a meter, you won't be able to remove it.
If you are having problems paying your rent, get in touch with your water supplier. You can also visit http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/tap/. There are many ways they can help you to get back on track.
You may be able to get your metered water bills capped if:
- You have three or more children under 19
-
Someone in your household suffers from a medical condition, which means they use more water.
Find your local water supplier and contact them for more details.
Water-saving tips
If you have a meter, here are some water-saving tips that should save you money on your bill:
- Put a CDD (cistern displacement device) in your toilet cistern. These reduce the amount of water you use when you flush the loo and are free from most water companies
- Get any leaks or faulty overflows fixed as soon as possible
- Avoid flushing things down the loo that you could throw away, e.g. makeup tissues and cotton wool
- If you have a shower, fit a low flow shower head, which will reduce the amount of water used.
- Use a shower timer
- Make sure your dishwasher is always full when you use it
- Try not to leave taps running. When you brush your teeth or do the washing up, only use the water you need
- Catch spare water in a bowl and use it for other tasks, e.g. watering the plants, washing veg, flushing the loo
- Find the most water-efficient programme on your washing machine and use it, e.g. eco mode
- Use a watering can, or a trigger nozzle on your hosepipe when watering the garden