Your Guide to Household Water Metering

Your Guide to Household Water Metering

Introduction It s generally considered that it s fairer to pay for the amount of water you actually use, rather than by a fixed amount. After all, you pay for electricity and gas according to what you use. If we all use water wisely, we can help reduce the amount taken from rivers and underground sources. By opting for a meter you not only benefit the environment by being more aware of your own use, but it may also help reduce your water bills. Using less water can also help reduce your energy bills, as you can make savings on the cost of heating water up. All newly built properties are automatically metered. It is compulsory to have a water meter fitted in cases where a substantial amount of water would be used, over and above that of a normal household. These cases are: If you use a garden sprinkler. If you leave a hosepipe running unattended. If you have a swimming pool or garden pond with a capacity greater than 10,000 litres. This guide is intended to help you understand the process and conditions of having a water meter installed. For information on charges and other costs, please read Your Guide to Metered Charges.

How will my charges be calculated? The charges for metered water consist of five elements: Water charge - this is based on how much water you have used. Water standing charge - this is based on the size of your meter and covers the cost of reading, billing, maintaining and, if necessary, replacing your meter. Sewerage charge - this is also based on how much water you have used and covers the cost of treating water returned to the sewer. Sewerage standing charge - this is based on the size of your meter and covers Severn Trent Water s costs. Surface water drainage charge - this is based on the removal and treatment of the water that falls onto roofs, yards and other parts of the property. This is an annual charge based on the property type. If the surface water from your property does not drain to the sewers, you may be entitled to pay a lower charge. You can do this by downloading a form from our website www.south-staffs-water.co.uk or by calling 0845 60 70 456. Sewerage and surface water drainage charges are collected by South Staffs Water on behalf of Severn Trent Water. Where will the meter be installed? External meter and chamber Our policy is to fit the meter externally at the boundary of your home, where our existing main stop tap (MST) is located either on the footpath or just within the boundary of your property. Sometimes it s not possible to install an external meter, usually due to shared water supplies. In these circumstances we will carry out a survey to fit the meter inside, where the supply first enters the property. If your property has more than one point of entry, no more than two meters will be fitted. Should two meters need to be fitted there will be a charge for the second fit. The fee is payable before the meter is fitted. Please see Your Guide to Metered Charges for details.

How much will it cost? Normally the meter will be fitted free of charge, as long as the meter is fitted in one of our preferred locations and the work can be carried out practically and at reasonable expense. We may refuse to fit a meter free of charge where: You have a shared service with one or more properties. If this is the case, you can apply to have a separate supply. To find out more visit the Supply Responsibility section on our website - www.south-staffs-water.co.uk. The dwelling is a flat with separate hot and cold water supplies. Substantial alterations to the existing plumbing and/or joinery would be needed before it could be installed. You ask to have the meter in a location other than the one determined by our representative. If your home has two points of entry, two meters will need to be fitted. The cost of installing the additional meter(s) is not included and would have to be paid for by you. The cost will need to be paid before the meters are fitted. If this applies to you, we will let you know during your survey. Rented accommodation If you live in a rented property you can still have a meter fitted, free of charge, subject to conditions. You must let your landlord know that you have asked us for a meter. What if you cannot install a meter? If the initial survey shows that a meter cannot be fitted either internally or externally at reasonable cost, we will offer you the alternative of paying an assessed charge for your water and sewerage services. Assessed charges are based on your property type and not its rateable value. If your rateable value (RV) is lower than the assessed charge, then you would continue to be charged on the basis of RV. Your Guide to Metered Charges contains more information about this. Where a meter can be fitted at reasonable cost, or where you refuse to pay any additional costs for the installation in an alternative location, or if you refuse to carry out any work needed for the meter to be installed, the assessed charge will NOT be offered. The charges will continue to be based on the rateable value of your home.

How do I apply for a meter? If you wish to have a meter fitted please complete the Application for a household water meter, in full, and send it to: South Staffs Water, PO Box 7040, Walsall, WS1 9QG. Alternatively, you can call us on 0845 45 67 063 if you have any further questions or wish to know how your application is progressing. How long will it take? Confirmation of your application will be given within five working days of receipt. Our contractor will telephone you to arrange an appointment to carry out the initial survey. If we cannot contact you by telephone our contractor will text or write asking you to contact them to arrange an appointment. If our contractor is unable to contact you within 21 days of your application being received, your application will be cancelled. We aim to carry out the survey and fit your meter within three months of the application being received. Where possible we will install the meter during the initial survey. If it is not possible we will arrange another visit. The survey can take around one hour and the installation two to three hours, dependent on the work needed. Important: If you have to cancel your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible on 0845 45 67 063. If you fail to keep to the allocated appointment slot, we will charge you a fee. Please see Your Guide to Metered Charges for details. If it is necessary to install a meter chamber, then this will be completed on a separate visit. We may need access to the outside of your property. However, it may not be necessary for you to be present. We aim to update your account within one month of the meter being fitted. It is important that you continue to pay your unmetered bills during this time. Once completed any over or underpayment will be refunded or billed accordingly and a letter of confirmation will be sent.

Contacting us If you need help completing your application form, please ring us on: 0845 45 67 063 and select Option 1. Or, if you have already applied to have a water meter fitted and would like to know how your application is progressing, please ring us on: 0845 45 67 063 and select Option 2. Opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Important information Do I need to do anything at my property? If it is possible to fit the meter outside at the boundary of your home you will need to take no further action. Where this is not possible we will carry out a survey to see if we can fit one inside. To do this we will need access to the internal stop tap where the supply first enters the property. Please note: Either you, or a representative, will need to be present for the survey. Is your internal stop tap in good working order? Please note that it is essential that your internal stop tap is in working order; you are responsible for its repair and maintenance. If it is not working, it may delay installation. During the installation we will need to turn off your water supply. Please ensure your washing machine or dishwasher is not in use before the appointment is due. Conditions of meter fit Sometimes you may need to carry out work prior to a meter being fitted. These would have to be undertaken by you and at your cost. These may include: Structural or major pipework alterations Extensive joinery requirements for example, the complete removal and replacement of kitchen units The disconnection and repositioning of gas appliances The repair or replacement of defective internal stop taps Tiling or redecoration The repair of any leaks found on faulty fittings or a private supply pipe The replanting or landscaping of garden areas If it is necessary to excavate your driveway, footpath or patio, our contractor will ensure the area is made safe after fitting the meter. The permanent reinstatement of any disturbed area is at your own expense.

Can I change my mind? You can change your mind before your meter is fitted. You should notify us as soon as possible so your application can be cancelled. Please telephone 0845 45 67 063, Option 2. If, once the meter has been installed, you find that your metered bill is higher than your previous charges, you can change back to charges based on the rateable value of the property. This must be received in writing within 12 months of the meter being installed, along with a meter reading. You will have to pay for the water registered through the meter up to the date of your request. Note: Any additional charges you may have paid to carry out the meter installation will not be refunded. Once the meter has been fitted it will NOT be removed even if you change back to paying by rateable value charges. If you move into a property that has a meter fitted, you must pay the charges based on metered usage, even if the previous occupiers had changed back to rateable value. If you use a garden sprinkler, leave a hose pipe running unattended or have a pond or swimming pool with a capacity greater than 10,000 litres you will not be able to revert to the rateable value charges for your property.

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Your Guide to Metered Charges Helping you decide whether you ll be better off on a water meter. Information about your metered charges South Staffs Water is responsible for providing the drinking water to your property. Once the water has been used in your home or business it becomes waste water and this is the responsibility of Severn Trent Water, together with all issues relating to the drainage of rain or surface water. So that you only receive one bill South Staffs Water bills and collects sewerage charges on behalf of Severn Trent Water. If you are metered you only pay for the water you use. At least one bill each financial year (1 April to 31 March) will be based on an actual meter reading.

Understand how metered charges are calculated The charges for metered water consist of five elements: Water charge - this is based on how much water you have used. 2015/16 charge = 108.06p per cubic metre Water standing charge - this is based on the size of your meter and covers the cost of reading, billing, maintaining and, if necessary, replacing your meter. 2015/16 charge = 31.25 per annum Sewerage charge - this is also based on how much water you have used and covers the cost of treating water returned to the sewer. 2015/16 charge = 88.08p per cubic metre Sewerage standing charge - this is based on the size of your meter and covers Severn Trent Water s costs. 2015/16 charge = 13.89 per annum Surface water drainage charge - this is based on the removal and treatment of the water that falls onto roofs, yards and other parts of the property. This is an annual charge based on the property type: 2015/16 charge = Terrace/Flat... 33.08 per annum Semi-detached... 56.99 per annum Detached... 80.70 per annum If the surface water from your property does not drain to the sewers, you may be entitled to pay a lower charge. You can do this by downloading a form from our website www.south-staffs-water.co.uk or by calling 0845 60 70 456. Sewerage and surface water drainage charges are collected by South Staffs Water on behalf of Severn Trent Water. How much is my metered bill likely to be? There are a few ways you can work this out. Use the Water Meter Calculator The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) represents water and sewerage consumers in England and Wales. 2

It provides a current and accurate water meter calculator for South Staffs Water customers. To find out how much your metered water bill is likely to be visit www.ccwater.org.uk/watermetercalculator or use our Average Customer Table Every three years we ask up to 15,000 customers what water using appliances they have and how many times they are used. From the results we can estimate the average water used. The table below shows the average annual charges for customers who have a meter, in a semi-detached property. Average metered household water charges (2015/16) No. in household 1 2 3 4 5 6 Average water used (m3) Estimated metered water and sewerage charges (per year) 50 99 149 198 248 297 200.20 296.30 394.37 490.49 588.55 684.66 1m3 = one cubic metre = 1,000 litres (220 gallons) which is 12.5 baths based on a bath which holds 80 litres. Remember every household is different This is a guide and the only real way to see how much you ll pay is by being on a meter. If you decide to have a water meter fitted, and you find your charges are higher, then you have a year to change your charges back to rateable value (RV), however the meter will remain in place at your property. Paying by monthly Direct Debit If you choose to spread the cost your monthly payment will be based on the average water usage and the number of people living in your home. So looking at the table above, a household of three people will pay around 35 per month. Once your meter has been installed for a year we ll be able to adjust your Direct Debit to reflect your actual usage. There are plenty of other ways to pay you ll find these on the Application for a household water meter which you can download from our website. 3

Other charges Charges for meters Our meters can usually be fitted free of charge at most household properties. If two meters are needed If your property has more than one point of entry for water, we may need to fit two meters. If you re happy to go ahead then there will be a charge for the second meter of 117 + VAT. We ll only fit a maximum of two meters so if more are required then we re sorry but we ll be unable to fit a meter. Assessed charges If we re unable to install a meter, you can instead pay an assessed charge which is based on your property type. Current charges are listed in the table below. If your rateable value (RV) is lower than the assessed charge, then you would continue to be charged on the basis of RV. Assessed charge for water per year Assessed charge for sewerage per year Surface water drainage per year Terrace/flat 133.71 100.77 33.08 Semi-detached 186.84 108.07 56.99 Detached 236.54 129.81 80.70 Single person* 106.18 52.16 Applicable property type charge on pg 2. * Proof of single occupancy will be required i.e. council tax bill. Keeping appointments We ll need to book an appointment to check if the meter can be fitted. We always aim to keep appointments or give you 24 hours notice if we need to rearrange. If we don t, or we re late we ll give you 20. If you re unable to keep an appointment with us, please let us know as soon as possible on 0845 45 67 063 (option 2) to avoid a charge of 50 + VAT to cover the cost of the survey. More information For more information on the process and conditions of having a water meter installed, please read Your Guide to Household Water Metering which is available for download from our website www.south-staffs-water.co.uk All charges contained in this leaflet are effective from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016. 4