Meters 4 Movers

According to the water saving charity, Waterwise, each person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day and this has been rising by 1% each year since 1930. An increased demand for water alongside a growing population and changing rain patterns mean that water companies have come under increasing pressure to use water meters as a way to manage available water resources. The general assumption is that customers who pay for what they use have more of an incentive to use water wisely.

Our top priority is to maintain a continuous supply of safe water to our customers. With our new ‘Meters 4 Movers’ scheme we’re installing a water meter in the home of everyone moving house into or within postcodes LE1 to LE19, LE65 and LE67. Including private homes as well as council or social housing properties, that’s 10,000 meters in all. 

With a water meter, what you pay is based on what you use, and many households can and do save money by having a water meter installed. Customers can get impartial advice on whether or not they would save by switching to metered charges by visiting www.uswitch.com/water or the Consumer Council for Water's website, www.ccwater.org.uk and clicking on the water meter calculator.

If customers are worried about their bills going up as a result of switching to metered charges, there are some safeguards in place to help protect those who may struggle to pay. WaterSure is a scheme offered by all water companies in England which caps metered charges at the average rate for their area. Customers on income related benefits who either have 3 or more children under 19 living at home or a disability which means they need to use more water can apply for the scheme. These customers can then use the water that they need without having to worry about higher charges that can be linked to higher water usage. Customers can apply for the WaterSure scheme by clicking here or by calling 08457 500 500.

We know that not everyone who may struggle to afford their water bills fit the criteria for WaterSure, which is why Severn Trent have set up a trust fund to help those who are having trouble paying. We'd encourage anyone who thinks they may not be able to afford their water bills to get in touch. We're more than willing to help those in genuine difficulty. But remember we can only help you if we know about it. Our staff are fully trained to help you and can find a payment plan that suits your individual requirements. Contact us on 08456 043 772.

For those looking for ways to use water wisely, Severn Trent offers loads of water saving tips and a free water saving pack. Click here to find out more.

More water meters also help us at Severn Trent catch leaks. Without measuring how much water is going into a property, it makes it more difficult for us to spot where water is being lost in our network. We've set ourselves tough targets to reduce leakage over the next five years because we know that it's important to our customers that we do our bit too.