Cut Down On Water Wastage, and Costs

If you are like me, a water rates bill has recently dropped through your letterbox telling you what your water rates will be for the coming year.

At my last house I had a water meter, but in the home I`m in now, it`s done the `old fashioned` way, and bills are based not on usage, but on the Rateable Value of the property.

Now of course that could be advantageous to a largish family in a smallish home. Water usage is likely to be high, and a water meter might mean paying more than a flat amount based on the rateable value of the home.

But, for the `average` size family in an `average` home, it`s likely that a meter will work out more cost-efficient.

So, in line with many people at the moment who are looking for ways to decrease outgoings, I thought I`d see about the pros and cons of getting a water meter fitted.

My supplier is United Utilities, so I went to their website and completed the Interactive Calculator. It`s easy and quick to use, and at the end of the exercise you can see whther you stand to save any money by changing over to a water meter. You have to be realistic in completing the questionnaire, otherwise you could be fooling yourself into thinking you use far less than you do.

Some of the questions involve water usage outside. That of course includes the garden. Is a hose used to water the garden? If so, for how many minutes, and how often? Is a watering can used instead of, or, as well as a hose?

These and other factors determine how much water in total is used, and at the end you are bracketed as being a below average user of water, average, or above average. If above average, maybe it`s time to start thinking of ways to cut down. Not just for the environment`s sake, but for your wallet`s sake as well.

In my own case, I stand to save around £100 a year by converting to a meter. So, I`m going to fill the forms in (online), and start the ball rolling.