United Utilities Water Meter: A Comprehensive Guide

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United Utilities Water Meter

Are you trying to find out where your United Utilities water meter is? Perhaps you are looking for a way to save money on your United Utilities water bill. Our comprehensive guide will help you. Read on to learn everything about the United Utilities water meter today.

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.

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?

water meters in box

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.

You can also check your United Utilities water bill to see if you’re being billed on metered rates or on unmetered rates.

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.

If you need help knowing your payment method options, check out our How To Pay Your Water Bill guide.

Should I Install a United Utilities Water Meter?

Yes! We recommend having a water meter installed as this can save you money.

According to Ofwat, only 40% of UK homes have water meter installed.

On average, households with a water meter installed use 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.

Curious how your water bill compares? People up and down the country pay different water rates and it can be confusing to know whether you are paying the right amount. This is why we've created a guide to understanding the Average UK Water Bill.

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.

For example:

  • Higher bills - So whilst single occupant households may see savings on their water mill, 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 have a United Utilities water meter, you have a two-year trial period during which you can test the United Utilities water meter to see if it will save you money on your United Utilities bill.

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.

If you've just moved into a property that is supplied by United Utilities, check out our How To Set Up Your Water Bill guide to get started as soon as possible.

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.

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?

stopwatch

You can have a United Utilities water meter installed for free, and it takes about eight weeks to get an appointment for the installation.

On the day of the installation, it could take between 45 minutes to 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.

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. 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?

water meter reading

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.

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.

You can read more about different types of water meters and how to read them in our essential Uk Water Meters guide.

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.

How Do I Request a United Utilities Water Meter?

telephone

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.

They will take your details and book you in for an installation.

If you are having problems with your United Utilities water meter, or you need to get in contact with them, take a look at our United Utilities Contact page.

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