Why am I having a
water meter fitted?

We believe that metering is a fairer way for our customers to pay for their drinking water as they only pay for what they use.

Our metering programme is driven by the fact that in 2007, the South East region was classed by the Environment Agency as an area of serious water stress. The effects of climate change with warmer and drier years, alongside the projected population growth in the region, will put further pressure on the water that is naturally available.

Our metering programme is an important part of our long term plan to manage water supplies. Your water comes from rivers or deep, natural chambers underground – called aquifers – that help store rainwater. We rely on winter rainfall to keep these aquifers replenished so it is important to manage this vital resource.

Metering is a cost effective way of managing water – for both the customer and South East Water. Customers on a water meter tend to use around 10% less water than those who are not. For South East Water it means we can delay introducing more expensive solutions to provide the necessary water, thereby keeping your bills as low as possible. The programme is supported by Defra, the Environment Agency, Ofwat and the Energy Savings Trust.

Can I refuse to have a water meter?

DEFRA, the government department which is responsible for the water industry has approved our Water Resource Management Plan, which promotes full metering in the region. This follows the Environment Agency’s classification of the South East of England as an area of serious water stress, which means that there is serious concern over the amount of water available for the increasing population.

The Water Industry Act 1999 (Chapter 9, Part 1, Section 7) and subordinate Regulations, prescribe the circumstances in which we can fit meters. These regulations have recently been amended to include the power to compulsory meter households if the water company’s area has been determined to be an area of serious water stress. Provided that we act within the legal framework outlined above, customers cannot refuse the installation of a water meter under our compulsory metering programme.