Water meters

The meter is the only part of a water bill a household can inspect for itself. It settles what is actually being used, it finds leaks that nothing else will show, and it decides whether the current way of being charged is the right one.

Where is my water meter?

Outside under a boundary-box cover, indoors near the stopcock, or in a communal cupboard. Where to look and how to open it without hurting yourself.

Read →

How to read a water meter

Black digits are cubic metres and count. Red digits are fractions and do not. The smallest red dial is the one that finds a leak.

Read →

Would a meter be cheaper?

The bedrooms-versus-people rule, why it is only a proxy, and the three figures that answer it properly.

Read →

Who fits and owns the meter

The meter belongs to the water company, not to the householder, and the company is responsible for installing, maintaining and replacing it. A household can normally request one, and in some areas meters are being installed as a matter of policy rather than by request — which area falls into which category is set regionally, and the supplier is the authority on it.

Because the meter is the company's property, tampering with it is a serious matter. Reading it, lifting the cover and wiping the face are not; those are expected and encouraged.