A guy just turned up and crouched down behind the garden wall. He didn't appear for a while so I grabbed a crowbar (not really!) and went out. He was from Thames Water and he was installing a smart water meter. I didn't know that such a thing existed but he was very professional and tested the pressure in my house before he left. I hadn't been notified or asked, but I like my electricity meter and the online access to my data so I had no objections. Surely nobody on here can object to a smart water meter......or can they? How does the signal get from under the pavement to the company? Can't be mobile data, or can it?
Compulsory smart meter!
- Thread starter Vicario
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Compulsory water meters have been around for at least 10 years for people who move - so the agreement you "sign" means they can fit one.
After 10 years Thames Water have yet to fit ours
General rule of thumb is that if you have more bedrooms in your property than people you should be better off by having a meter.
After 10 years Thames Water have yet to fit ours
General rule of thumb is that if you have more bedrooms in your property than people you should be better off by having a meter.
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Your very lucky, I am with penny pinching Anglian and they only install DUMB meters not smart, consequentially I have to go out in all weathers & kneel in the mud to read the wretched thing.
The old meters used to have a magnet on the dial you could sense with a reed switch but some stupid jerk decided it was a security risk and removed it (thank you Elstar/Honeywell).
The old meters used to have a magnet on the dial you could sense with a reed switch but some stupid jerk decided it was a security risk and removed it (thank you Elstar/Honeywell).
Not mobile. But radio.
https://www.arqiva.com/utilities/water-metering Arqiva also do similar WAN radio networks in the North and Scotland for Gas and Electricity.
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I certainly don't! Fooking water meter costs me more for water than my old house did on water rates. we watch every drop we use.
Depends on where you live. They have some already and are expanding https://www.arqiva.com/news-views/news/arqiva-anglian-water-extension
Suspect your North Lincolnshire location isn't as water deprived as more southern parts of the EAW network so may have lower priority for water savings? There's a postcode checker on the Anglian Water website should you wish to check. No plans for me at the moment though.
PS You remind me it is time to get a wet knee reading my water meter. Or maybe I'll leave it 'til next month in the hope it's warmer.
Some people will object to everything.
Mostly those who believe in conspiracies everywhere, that they are being spied on continually and the rest.
Also the same lot who gladly go and share their entire life on the likes of Facebook with no considerations whatsoever.
Then you obviously use far too much water, and are wasteful of it - most find their bills go well down, once on a meter.
Just tell them you have injured your bacck/leg/whatever and can't take a reading for the forseeable future so they will have to send a little man out to do it for you.
It's their equipment, as far as I am aware, it is usually on the public side of your property boundary, so why should you do their job for them?
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I see you have suspicions - you say 'Most'...
Certainly aren't to much water. Never wash the cars at home, never flush the toilet for 'yellow' water, never run the hot tap in the kitchen, never have a bath, quick shower every other day, only use the washing machine when the drum is full.
Meter reader has made the comment we use less water than the previous resident, Anglian Water has changed the meter 'cause we use so little they thought it was faulty. The only time we had a leak was after the meter was changed, the people changing the water meter did it up so tight it cracked the meter base.
Then you would pay much more, without the meter..
Anglian Water already send men/women round every 6 months to read meters where I live.
Still always worth making your own occasional checks on the meter to catch leaks!
We use around 36 cu m per annum. But have a rainwater harvesting system for toilet flushing (and car washing/plant watering) that probably saves an equal volume!
Everyone on my street had a water meter fitted in the pavement where their stopcock was a few years back by ST Water. I asked the guy why they were doing it and he said it was to monitor water usage, in that they know how much water they are putting into the local area and then they subtract what the meters measured was being fed into the properties and if there is a significant discrepancy they knew that there is a leak on their system somewhere that needs fixing. It's had no effect on me and I still pay fixed water rates.
I don't know how the meters are read, but one of my neighbours reckoned someone walked along the pavement with a device he pointed at the cover of each meter as he passed by......not seen it myself though.
I don't know how the meters are read, but one of my neighbours reckoned someone walked along the pavement with a device he pointed at the cover of each meter as he passed by......not seen it myself though.
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