Water meters
B3
Posts: 15,429
I heard an interesting thing today.
Your water bill is divided into two parts. One element is the charge for disposal of sewage.
The water you pour in your garden does not enter the sewerage system and is therefore not chargeable.
All you need to do is attach a water meter to the pipe that feeds your garden hose and tell the water company how much of your water supply went into the garden to apply for a refund.
This option is ,apparently, well hidden in the water company's websites but it is there for your average internet sleuth to find.
Your water bill is divided into two parts. One element is the charge for disposal of sewage.
The water you pour in your garden does not enter the sewerage system and is therefore not chargeable.
All you need to do is attach a water meter to the pipe that feeds your garden hose and tell the water company how much of your water supply went into the garden to apply for a refund.
This option is ,apparently, well hidden in the water company's websites but it is there for your average internet sleuth to find.
In London. Keen but lazy.
2
Posts
What's being spoken of is that you can measure the amount of water that comes from your garden tap onto the garden via your hosepipe, sprinkler and watering can and delete the disposal charge for that amount that from the total amount used.
https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/account-and-bill/tariffs-and-charges/sewerage-abatements/
https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/understand-your-bill/reduce-your-wastewater-bill
https://www.yorkshirewater.com/our-charges/surface-water-drainage-charges/
Apparently he has a big garden and grows vegetables but it can't be that big even in posh outer London.
Furthermore I don’t have a water meter so would this work for me? If I told my water company I put X cubic metres on to the garden could they work out what % that was of the consumption they estimate I have used based on the rateable value of my house all those years ago? Might they then say I am using an excessive amount on the garden - though I don’t think I am - and insist a meter is installed in my property?
And just to complicate my situation further, I get water from Severn Trent but Anglian provides sewerage - or the other way round, I can never remember.
I’d welcome observations.
It reads to me as if it is probably only available to people who have a main meter fitted.
https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/account-and-bill/tariffs-and-charges/sewerage-abatements/
Which might suggest you will need a meter to get these potential reductions.
That fits with my area, Severn Trent, where you are supposed to have a meter if you use an auto-watering system:
Don’t forget, if you use a sprinkler, other automatic garden watering systems (including a perforated hose), or have a swimming pool using mains water, you need to have a meter fitted • All new properties will have one. Existing customers can also apply for a meter
https://www.stwater.co.uk/content/dam/stw/my-account/our-charges/stw-summary-of-charges-2019-20.pdf
I would say a more fruitful approach might be to create a decent sized rainwater storage tank, and use that with a pump. I may go for this when I do a small extension in a year or two. Not cheap, but not *that* expensive depending on what you would save, and how the calculations work out. One way is to use a standard "onion" septic tank.
That way you avoid wasting expensively treated tap water on the garden, and save on meterage charges on the water coming in if you have a meter as most do now.
Plus the benefits of rainwater over tapwater, and the warm glow of not using treated water where it is not needed.
Ferdinand