Water Supply and Sanitation in England and Wales - Metering

Metering

A particularity of water tariffs in England and Wales is the low share of metering. Most users are not billed on a volumetric basis and have no financial incentive for water conservation. Since the 1990s efforts have been made to increase the share of household metering, which reached 33% in 2008 for the UK. The Environment Agency would like to see 75% of households metered by 2025. Studies show that water meters lead to a 5-15% reduction in household water use. Meters are typically only installed at the request of customers.

In 2006 the Environment Agency announced it favours compulsory metering in water-scarce southern England. The measure is controversial. Consumer groups fear it will penalise poorer families with lots of children, and the disabled, who use more water. The announcement also represents a U-turn for Labour, which fiercely opposed compulsory water meters when in opposition, describing them as a 'tax on family life'. In March 2006 the company Folkestone & Dover Water Services was granted the power to install compulsory water meters in a landmark ministerial ruling under which it was given 'water scarcity status' by Environment Minister Elliot Morley. In a written ministerial statement, Mr Morley said: 'In many parts of the country, water is a precious resource which we can no longer simply take for granted.' The company says that Folkestone and Dover are in one of the driest areas in the UK. Many parts of the Middle East had more rain than this area, and it is getting even drier and warmer due to climate change.