This in from Southern Water in their own words. Ed
As long ago as 1989, Southern Water company installed nearly 50,000 meters on the Island in one of 12 UK trials. The Island’s trial was the biggest and many argue the most successful as customers went on to reduce their water consumption by 16% compared to a UK average of approximately 10%.
Darren Simmons, Head of Field Services at Southern Water, said,
“We are delighted to be returning to the water-efficient Island this summer to carry out further meter installations, with the first installations to take place in August.
“This is part of Southern Water’s five-year universal metering programme, which commenced in 2010, to install nearly 500,000 meters across the Southern Water region of Kent Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“The meter we shall be installing is one of the fastest, most advanced drive-by meters in the world. It also boasts a leak-alarm which, when we commenced our metering programme, was unique in Britain and is the only such model to integrate a transmitter and processor into its vacuum-sealed head which aids reliability.”
Leak alarm
The automatic leak alarm activates when water runs continuously through the meter for four hours. The alarm is picked up when the meter is read so that a leak can then be identified and repaired.
Since the metering programme began in 2010, nearly 7,000 leaks have been detected where this ‘intelligent’ meter has been installed.
Another benefit is the meter’s ability to raise an alarm if it is tampered with, reporting exactly when the offence has taken place.
Drive-by readings
Every 11 seconds the meter transmits a reading. This is then captured automatically on a small terminal by a meter reader who simply drives past the meter. This saves customers the inconvenience of being troubled by meter readers.
The metering programme is delivering savings for the majority of Southern Water customers. To date, 62% of metered households across its region are saving, on average, £162 a year. This also means that customers’ energy bills are also likely to fall because heating water for use in taps, baths and showers makes up around 30% of the average household’s energy bill.
Four-year study
These findings were confirmed earlier this year when two Associate Professors from Southampton University published the results of their four-year study about the impact of Southern Water’s metering programme. Their evidence revealed that metered households are using, on average, 60 litres per household per day less water.
This represents a 16.5% reduction, equating to a regional saving of 30 million litres of water every day – that’s enough to meet the daily water needs of cities the size of Brighton and Chichester combined, or one and a half times the water demand of the Isle of Wight.
Paying for what you use
Metering also helps to protect the environment as water companies abstract less water from rivers and underground sources and use fewer chemicals to treat it, and it’s the most cost-effective solution to secure future water supplies.
Southern Water believes that, compared to the existing charging system based on the rateable value of a property, the fairest way to pay for water is to each pay for what we actually use.
Research shows that customers, too, think it quite wrong that two neighbours in identical homes pay the same if one is a single person household and the other is a family of four using much more water. While each person in the UK uses, on average, 150 litres of water every day, some people use over five times that amount, which – without meters – everyone is paying for.
The ‘Customer Journey’
The company has put in place a ‘Customer Journey’ to keep every customer on the Island informed about their meter installation – before, during and after the installation – so that they understand why meters are being installed, what it means for them and how to make the best use of their meters.
The first step in the Customer Journey will come in the form of an information pack entitled ‘Your water meter is coming’. This pack will be posted approximately three weeks before a meter is installed and will include information on why meters are being introduced, the change-over process, how customers will be charged and water efficiency tips.
On the day of installation itself, a ‘Your water meter is here’ pack of information will be
hand-delivered. This will contain details about the billing and tariff options, how to pay, what help is available to pay and a timetable for what happens next.
‘Changeover’ tariff
About six months after installation customers will receive a letter explaining how much water they have used and how much their first metered bills are likely to be if they keep using the same amount of water. They will also be given the choice to opt for our ‘changeover’ tariff.
Most meters will be installed in the pavement but when internal installations are required Southern Water will make appointments with customers.
The company’s experience is that most customers will enjoy a reduction in their bills. However, 38% of customers have seen an average yearly increase of £184 but new tariffs have been introduced to help them.
- Changeover Tariff – This tariff phases any price rise over a three-year period, giving customers time to manage their water use.
- Essentials Tariff – Where the water bill represents 5% or more of a household’s income (after deductions for housing costs) customers may be eligible for this tariff which gives a discount on future bills. Those with a greater bill-to-income ratio will be given the most support.
Darren concluded,
“We look forward to fitting more meters on an Island which has long proven itself to be the most water efficient in our region. The Isle of Wight is the home of metering – the first Southern Water area to be predominantly metered all those years ago.
“It’s where we began and is therefore an appropriate place to end our present metering programme.”
