What is a United Utilities Water Meter?

Having a United Utilities water meter means the supplier calculates your water bill depending on the amount of water you actually use each month, rather than basing your bill on the rateable value of your home. In practice, a metered household pays for every cubic metre that flows through the pipe, while an unmetered household pays a fixed annual charge regardless of consumption.

The choice between metered and unmetered billing matters because it directly changes how much you pay. If you live alone, work from home sparingly, or run a water-efficient household, a meter almost always works out cheaper. If you have a large family in a property with a low rateable value, the flat unmetered charge may still be the better deal.

What is Rateable Value? Rateable value is used by water companies to calculate how much to charge households without a water meter. Rateable Value was used for everyone's bills until 1990. The values were assessed and changed to be based on the annual rental value of the property in 1993.

How Do I Know If I Have a Water Meter?

You can usually find your United Utilities water meter inside your home near your main stop tap or outside near your property boundary. It could also be in a box attached to an outside wall, most often a small round or rectangular cover near the kerb bearing a "W" or "Water" mark.

You can also check your United Utilities water bill to see if you're being billed on metered rates or on unmetered rates. Metered bills always show a reading in cubic metres and a price per m³, while unmetered bills quote a flat annual charge based on your rateable value.

If you can't find a bill, or if you just moved in and you've checked your property but aren't sure if your property has a United Utilities water meter or not, we recommend you contact United Utilities to ask them.

Should I Install a United Utilities Water Meter?

Yes - for the majority of households, we recommend having a water meter installed as this can save you money. According to Ofwat, only around 40% of UK homes have a water meter installed, and households with a meter use on average 31.7% less water according to the Consumer Council for Water.

As well as saving money, you can also save the environment by having a United Utilities water meter installed. Having a water meter installed can also help you identify issues with your water supply quicker: if you are experiencing a leak, this can be quickly identified on the meter with higher usage. If you lose water supply completely, the water meter is the place to check to see what the issue is.

Of course, if you use a lot of water, then having a United Utilities water meter installed may be counterproductive and end up costing you more. A useful rule of thumb is that if there are more bedrooms in your home than people living in it, a meter is likely to save you money.

What Are the Disadvantages of a United Utilities Water Meter?

Whilst most households will benefit from having a United Utilities water meter installed, there are some disadvantages worth weighing up before you commit. The main drawbacks concern large families, fluctuating monthly bills, and the potential impact on the resale value of your home.

  • Higher bills - Whilst single occupant households may see savings on their water bill, households with large families may end up with higher bills. You may have to change your water consumption to reduce the amount of water you use.
  • Fluctuating bills - Means that when you use more water, you will pay more. With an unmetered tariff, your bill is a fixed annual amount, so you know exactly how much you will pay for your water yearly.
  • Reduce the value of your home - A large family may be concerned about moving into a home that has a United Utilities water meter installed, because that could mean expensive water bills due to their family's water consumption.

Can I Have a United Utilities Water Meter Removed?

For customers who don't already have a meter and decide to install one, United Utilities offers a two-year trial period during which you can test the water meter to see if it will save you money. If it doesn't, you can go back to unmetered billing at the end of the trial.

Customers who have moved into a property with a United Utilities water meter already in place cannot request a removal. The Water Industry Act does not allow the removal of a water meter in this circumstance, so if your new home came with a meter fitted, you are stuck with metered billing.

Can You Trial a United Utilities Water Meter?

Yes - you can have a two-year trial of the United Utilities water meter to see if it saves you money on your water bill. The trial is risk-free because it comes with a lowest bill guarantee, which means you never pay more during the trial than you would on your old unmetered rate.

What's also nice about the two-year trial is that United Utilities offer a lowest bill guarantee. This means you will pay the metered rate if it's cheaper or continue with your unmetered rate if that would have been cheaper.

At the end of the two-year trial, you can choose to keep the metered rate or opt to have the United Utilities water meter disconnected and revert to the unmetered rate for your home.

What Happens If You Don't Want a United Utilities Water Meter?

At the moment, a United Utilities water meter isn't compulsory like with other suppliers, such as Thames Water, Anglian Water, Southern Water and a few other water companies. This means you are not obligated to have a United Utilities water meter unless you choose to install one.

When are water meters compulsory? A water meter is compulsory in areas that are designated as being under serious water stress. This means the water company must install water meters at all properties, where possible, in their region and have legal powers to install a water meter even if a customer does not want one.

How Long Does it Take to Have a United Utilities Water Meter Installed?

You can have a United Utilities water meter installed for free, and it takes about eight weeks to get an appointment for the installation. The eight-week wait is typical across most UK water companies and is used to plan the engineer rounds and, where needed, order a new external meter chamber.

On the day of the installation, it could take between 45 minutes and three hours to install your water meter. United Utilities may send an engineer before your installation to conduct a survey to determine the best location for the United Utilities water meter.

During the installation, you can expect your water to be disconnected for up to one hour. We recommend filling a couple of jugs or a kettle beforehand so you still have drinking water on hand while the engineer is working on the supply pipe.

Do I Need My Landlord's Permission to Install a United Utilities Water Meter?

As long as your tenancy agreement is for more than six months, you do not need to ask your landlord to have a United Utilities water meter installed. This is a statutory right under the Water Industry Act and applies equally to assured shorthold tenancies lasting longer than half a year.

However, check your tenancy agreement for any clauses requiring permission for alterations to the property. We recommend you discuss the installation of a United Utilities water meter with your landlord to make sure that you stay on friendly terms with your landlord.

How Do You Read a United Utilities Water Meter?

Customers with an older United Utilities water meter may need to provide United Utilities with a meter reading every so often, usually at least once every six months, to make sure that your water bill is correct for your consumption. Without a reading, your bill will be estimated and may be too high or too low.

To read your United Utilities water meter, you should look at the meter and take the numbers that are written in black. That is your reading. You can ignore the numbers in red, unless they are specifically requested by United Utilities - the red digits show fractions of a cubic metre and are only useful for leak detection.

They should offer customers who are having a United Utilities water meter installed for the first time a meter that has a built-in Automated Meter Reader (AMR). This means that your United Utilities water meter has a radio transmitter built-in. This allows your meter to transmit the meter readings to a United Utilities engineer who drives past your home, so in most cases you will never need to submit a manual reading.

How Do I Request a United Utilities Water Meter?

To request a United Utilities water meter, you can contact the United Utilities water meter team on 0345 072 6065. They're open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. You can also request a meter online through the My Account portal on the United Utilities website.

They will take your details and book you in for an installation. Have your United Utilities account number and your address ready when you call so the advisor can check whether an external meter chamber already exists at your property, which can speed up the appointment.

United Utilities Water Meter FAQ

For customers who don't have a United Utilities water meter, you have a two-year trial period during which you can test the United Utilities water meter. Customers who have moved into a property with a United Utilities water meter already in place cannot request a removal.

Depending on the type of meter, United Utilities will send someone to read the meter or, if it's a smart water meter, the readings will be sent automatically.

Yes, a United Utilities water meter is installed for free.

It takes about eight weeks to get an installation appointment. On the day, the engineer typically needs between 45 minutes and three hours to fit the meter, and your water will be disconnected for up to one hour.

It depends on your household. On average, metered households use 31.7% less water (Consumer Council for Water), and the two-year trial with lowest bill guarantee means you will never pay more than your old unmetered rate during the trial period.

Useful United Utilities Guides

Once you know where you stand on metering, our other United Utilities and UK water guides will help you manage your account, compare your bill with the national average, and find the right contact for any other query.