4 ms·

As a German, what amazes me, it seems like many people in England are on a water flatrate, as far as I understand it. No one (?) in Germany is.

louthy 1y ago
As a Brit, yes that’s true, I’ve never had a metered water connection.
padjo 1y ago
Wait until you hear about Ireland where we installed metres but ended up not using them and instead everyone gets as much water as they want for free.
kawsper 1y ago
That surprised me too. Flatrate is the default, but you can get a metered water connection installed if you want, and it is often cheaper than the flatrate.
- bbrks 1y ago
  It's not the default. You cannot buy a new house today without being on a meter. That is the default. It's just our housing stock being so old and decrepit, where nobody can be bothered updating anything even if it's provided for free by the utility companies, that the majority of houses simply do not have a water meter! There's a general sentiment that smart meters and metered water will make costs skyrocket or somehow hold you ransom to abrupt and unfair price changes, as if that somehow wasn't the case today...
  - secondcoming 1y ago
    Except in Scotland where your water charge is added to your council tax and so there are no water meters. I pay £190 per year for unlimited water.
    - arethuza 1y ago
      Don't you also pay for waste water? My waste water charge here in Fife is quite a bit more than the water charge.
      - secondcoming 1y ago
        Don't think so, it's not mentioned separately on my CT bill at least. However I rent in a new build block of flats so maybe it doesn't apply to me, or is included in rent.
        arethuza 1y ago
        For Fife the charges are here: https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/housing/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/housing/council-tax...
        secondcoming 1y ago
        Oh you're right. I missed the Sewerage Charge on my bill! £220
olalonde 1y ago
In most of Quebec, water is not billed nor metered. It's considered as a "public good" and paid for through property taxes. That does lead to overuse and waste though.
- SoftTalker 1y ago
  Chicago also, at least historically. On the shore of Lake Michigan, there is no lack of fresh water. It was billed however. You paid a flat rate for water service, but it was unmetered. I'm not sure how much this is still the case.
fredley 1y ago
Most water companies in the UK will not allow you to start a new flat rate tarriff though (and will definitely be applying pressure to those on a flat rate to get a meter). So if you move house chances are you will get a meter installed straight away if there isn't one already.
- zipy124 1y ago
  I've never stayed in a place in london with a water meter, and I've lived in 5 places over 8 years. In addition we've tried to get one fitted multiple times, as it was becoming mandatory. None of the places I've lived in were able to have one fitted, as in large buildings fitting a meter for each flat is simply not possible, especially in old council flats.
- jaccola 1y ago
  Water company came to my old flat, "impossible" to install a meter. My water bill halved because of their assessment. Of course, I had lived there for 5 years, had been trying to get a visit for 1 year and hadn't changed my water usage. Still no rebate was offered!
IshKebab 1y ago
It's a legacy from the past. 60% of households have watered meter now and you can't chose to get flat rate water.

louthy 1y ago

As a Brit, yes that’s true, I’ve never had a metered water connection.

padjo 1y ago

Wait until you hear about Ireland where we installed metres but ended up not using them and instead everyone gets as much water as they want for free.

kawsper 1y ago

That surprised me too. Flatrate is the default, but you can get a metered water connection installed if you want, and it is often cheaper than the flatrate.

bbrks 1y ago
It's not the default. You cannot buy a new house today without being on a meter. That is the default. It's just our housing stock being so old and decrepit, where nobody can be bothered updating anything even if it's provided for free by the utility companies, that the majority of houses simply do not have a water meter! There's a general sentiment that smart meters and metered water will make costs skyrocket or somehow hold you ransom to abrupt and unfair price changes, as if that somehow wasn't the case today...
- secondcoming 1y ago
  Except in Scotland where your water charge is added to your council tax and so there are no water meters. I pay £190 per year for unlimited water.
  - arethuza 1y ago
    Don't you also pay for waste water? My waste water charge here in Fife is quite a bit more than the water charge.
    - secondcoming 1y ago
      Don't think so, it's not mentioned separately on my CT bill at least. However I rent in a new build block of flats so maybe it doesn't apply to me, or is included in rent.
      - arethuza 1y ago
        For Fife the charges are here: https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/housing/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/housing/council-tax...
        secondcoming 1y ago
        Oh you're right. I missed the Sewerage Charge on my bill! £220

olalonde 1y ago

In most of Quebec, water is not billed nor metered. It's considered as a "public good" and paid for through property taxes. That does lead to overuse and waste though.

SoftTalker 1y ago
Chicago also, at least historically. On the shore of Lake Michigan, there is no lack of fresh water. It was billed however. You paid a flat rate for water service, but it was unmetered. I'm not sure how much this is still the case.

fredley 1y ago

Most water companies in the UK will not allow you to start a new flat rate tarriff though (and will definitely be applying pressure to those on a flat rate to get a meter). So if you move house chances are you will get a meter installed straight away if there isn't one already.

zipy124 1y ago
I've never stayed in a place in london with a water meter, and I've lived in 5 places over 8 years. In addition we've tried to get one fitted multiple times, as it was becoming mandatory. None of the places I've lived in were able to have one fitted, as in large buildings fitting a meter for each flat is simply not possible, especially in old council flats.
jaccola 1y ago
Water company came to my old flat, "impossible" to install a meter. My water bill halved because of their assessment. Of course, I had lived there for 5 years, had been trying to get a visit for 1 year and hadn't changed my water usage. Still no rebate was offered!

IshKebab 1y ago

It's a legacy from the past. 60% of households have watered meter now and you can't chose to get flat rate water.