Free

Meter installation in England & Wales

31.7%

Less water used vs unmetered homes

12-24 mo.

Window to have a new meter removed

£515

Thames Water 4-person annual bill

How Do Water Meters Work in the UK?

A UK water meter records the volume of water flowing into your property in cubic metres (m³), with each cubic metre equal to 1,000 litres. Unlike electricity and gas, not every household has a meter: the UK still operates two parallel billing systems, one metered and one based on the property's rateable value.

Mechanically, a water meter works in the same way as an electricity or gas meter: as water passes through the device, an internal counter ticks up and the figures on the dial or digital display change to reflect total consumption. Properties built after 1990 almost always have a meter fitted as standard.

How Can I Tell If I Have a Water Meter?

The quickest check is your latest water bill. Some suppliers embed a status code directly in the account number - for example "MC" for a metered customer and "UC" for an unmetered one. If the bill shows cubic metres used and a reading, you are on a meter; if it only shows a flat annual charge, you are still on a rateable-value tariff.

What Does a Water Meter Look Like?

UK households are fitted with one of two meter types: a traditional mechanical meter with a mechanical dial, or a newer smart meter with a digital screen. Both measure consumption in cubic metres but look and behave very differently.

Standard Water Meter

Traditional UK water meters are roughly tin-can sized and round, with four or five black digits followed by two red digits on the face. They include a small rotating dial and a nine-digit serial number engraved on the outer rim. The black digits record whole cubic metres - the only numbers used for billing - while the red digits record fractions.

Smart Water Meter

Smart meters are slightly larger than standard versions and feature a digital display showing the reading with up to three decimal points. The serial number is printed above the barcode inside the meter housing. Because smart meters transmit readings automatically to the supplier, most customers never have to open the cover.

Where Is My Water Meter?

Water meters are installed either indoors or outdoors depending on the property type. Flats and terraced houses on a shared supply pipe usually have indoor meters, while detached houses on an unshared pipe tend to have outdoor meters close to the stop valve.

If you cannot find it, your bill lists the nine-digit serial number, which must match the one on the meter body. When in doubt, call your supplier - they can confirm the meter location from your postcode. See our water meter reading guide for step-by-step instructions once you have located it.

Outdoor Water Meter Installation

Look for a small metal or plastic ground cover near the footpath or close to your stop valve. Lift the cover to reveal a frost-protective plastic top; remove that and the meter sits underneath. A torch and a cloth are usually needed to wipe dirt off the dial before you can read it.

Indoor Water Meter Installation

Indoor meters are installed where the water supply enters the home - typically under the kitchen sink, in a garage or in a downstairs utility cupboard. In larger buildings, meters are grouped in a communal utility room, so always verify the serial number matches the one on your bill before taking a reading.

Can I Move My Water Meter?

Relocating a meter is possible but costs money, and only water-company contractors are legally allowed to carry out the work. Any unauthorised attempt to move or modify a meter is considered tampering and can carry heavy fines.

How to Read Your Water Meter

To read a traditional meter, write down only the black digits from left to right; the red digits represent fractions of a cubic metre and are never billed. Smart meters send readings automatically, but if you want to double-check one manually, read the digital numbers up to the decimal comma and ignore everything after it.

Suppliers charge per whole cubic metre, so the decimals never appear on your bill. Submit readings via your online account, automated phone line or by post at least every three months to avoid estimated bills - monthly submissions are ideal for catching sudden spikes that usually point to a leak.

For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our dedicated water meter reading guide, which covers traditional meters, smart meters and how to submit readings to each major UK water company.

Can I Have a Water Meter Removed?

If a meter was installed at your request within the last 12 months, you generally have the right to ask for it to be removed and to return to an unmetered bill based on the rateable value. Some suppliers extend this grace period to 24 months so customers can reconsider after a full year of bills.

If you moved into a property that already had a meter, or your grace period has lapsed, removal is no longer possible. In compulsory metering areas - notably those covered by Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water - opting out is not an option at all.

Advantages

  • Free to request during the first 12 months after installation
  • Useful if the metered bill turns out higher than the rateable-value one
  • Some suppliers extend the grace period to 24 months

Disadvantages

  • Not possible if you moved into a pre-metered property
  • Not possible in compulsory metering regions
  • Once the grace period ends the decision is permanent

Is It Cheaper to Have a Water Meter Installed?

On average, metered households use 31.7% less water than unmetered ones, and the rule of thumb is that any home with fewer occupants than bedrooms will save money on a meter. Conversely, unmetered rateable-value bills often remain cheaper for large families and for high-consumption properties.

Before deciding, compare your current unmetered bill with the estimate from a water meter calculator - the saving (or loss) can easily reach three figures per year, so it is well worth the five-minute check.

What Is Rateable Value?

Unmetered households pay a bill based on their property's rateable value - an historic assessment reflecting the condition, age and size of the home. Rateable value has been used for water billing since council rates were abolished in 1990, and the figure does not change with your actual consumption.

Water Meter Calculators

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) provides a free online calculator that estimates your future metered bill based on household occupants, bathing and showering habits, toilet flushes and appliance usage. It is the most reliable tool to find out whether a meter would save you money before you commit.

The calculator is available on the Consumer Council for Water website. If the estimate comes out well below your current unmetered bill, contact your supplier to request a free meter installation.

How Much Will I Save With a Water Meter?

Estimated yearly costs vary considerably across suppliers. A four-person household with Thames Water pays roughly £515.69 a year on a meter, while a two-person household pays about £240.35. The table below compares four major English and Welsh suppliers on the same standardised usage scenarios.

Estimated annual metered water bills by UK supplier and household size
Supplier Four-person home Two-person home
Thames Water£515.69£240.35
United Utilities Water£650.12£295.71
Yorkshire Water£639.67£277.32
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water£672.92£348.47

Indicative annual metered bills for standardised four-person and two-person scenarios, including water supply, sewerage and surface-water charges. Actual bills depend on local tariffs and consumption.

What Are the Disadvantages of Having a Water Meter?

A meter is not always the best choice. For high-occupancy households - particularly large families in properties with a low rateable value - a metered bill can actually cost more than the unmetered alternative, and the decision is generally irreversible after the grace period.

Even when a meter does save money, it comes with a few practical downsides worth knowing before you sign up.

  • Bills may not decrease - especially in large families
  • Regular reading submissions can be inconvenient
  • The meter location is not customer-controlled without paying a relocation fee
  • Careful monitoring is needed to keep consumption - and bills - under control

Water Meter Installation Details

Having a meter fitted involves completing an application form, an engineer carrying out a property survey, obtaining any necessary permits for outdoor installations, and finally a completion notification from the supplier. The entire process can take up to three months from initial request to an active metered bill.

During the survey the engineer checks whether your existing plumbing can accommodate a meter and where it will go. Most outdoor installations are straightforward; indoor jobs may require additional pipework and can occasionally be refused on technical grounds.

Water Meter Installation Cost

Installation is free in England and Wales - water companies are legally required to fit a meter on request at no cost to the customer. Only relocation requests, or very unusual plumbing configurations, incur a charge.

Scotland is different: because the market is overseen by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), installations are charged at around £300 and domestic metering is much rarer overall.

Smart Water Meters in the UK

Smart water meters allow hourly consumption breakdowns and transmit readings automatically, making it far easier to detect leaks early and track your usage in real time. Reports suggest that rolling out smart meters can cut a town's overall water consumption by around 8%.

The rollout is uneven across the UK, with some regions already committed to compulsory smart metering and others still offering the choice between traditional and smart devices.

Can You Get a Smart Meter for Water?

Some suppliers now make smart meters compulsory, in particular Thames Water and Anglian Water, where demand pressure is highest. In most other areas suppliers still install standard mechanical meters by default, largely for cost reasons.

Are Smart Water Meters Compulsory?

Whether a smart meter is compulsory depends entirely on your regional supplier. Thames Water and Anglian Water mandate smart meters; Southern Water requires metering generally. Most other suppliers leave the choice to the customer.

Smart Water Meters for Business

Unlike domestic customers, UK businesses can choose their water supplier, which makes metering - and particularly smart metering - strategically important when comparing offers and negotiating contracts.

Is a Smart Water Meter a Good Idea?

For most households a smart meter is a clear upgrade, but the trade-offs are worth weighing up before agreeing to an installation.

Advantages

  • Hourly consumption data for precise tracking
  • Automatic reading transmission - no manual submissions
  • Much faster leak detection thanks to real-time data

Disadvantages

  • More complex to repair than a mechanical meter
  • Modest increase in household energy consumption
  • Risk of higher bills if switching from unmetered to metered

Water Meter FAQ

As a rule of thumb, yes - if your household has fewer occupants than bedrooms you will almost always save money. Larger families in low-rateable-value properties may pay more on a meter, so use the Consumer Council for Water calculator before committing.

Installation is free in England and Wales - water companies must fit a meter on request at no charge. In Scotland, installations cost around £300 because the market is regulated separately by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

Yes, provided the meter was installed at your request within the last 12 months (24 months with some suppliers). If you moved into a property that already had a meter or your grace period has expired, removal is no longer possible.

Only with certain suppliers. Thames Water and Anglian Water now mandate smart water meters, and Southern Water requires metering generally. Most other suppliers still leave the choice between traditional and smart meters to the customer.

Check your latest water bill: if it shows cubic metres used and a meter reading you are on a meter, whereas a flat annual charge means you are still on the rateable-value tariff. Some suppliers also use codes such as "MC" (metered customer) or "UC" (unmetered customer) in the account number.

Useful Water Guides

For more on UK water bills, suppliers and day-to-day meter management, our other guides cover the full journey from finding your supplier to reading and submitting your meter correctly.

The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions.