Smart Water Meters

Smart water meters and the British water network

Most people are familiar with smart energy meters for electricity and gas, which the UK government has legislated for a nationwide roll-out as part of its move to a flexible energy grid.

Less well-known is that the same technology is also being used to help reduce the environmental impact of the water industry.

This guide explains everything you need to know about smart water meters, including:

• What is a smart water meter?
• The benefits of a smart water meter
• Why am I being asked to have a smart water meter?
• What does a smart water meter look like?
• Which water companies provide smart water meters?
• Getting a smart water meter for a business

Why am I being asked to have a smart water meter?

The current state of the British water infrastructure is far from smart. The roll-out of smart meters is part of a broader plan to bring the water network into the 21st century.

Each day in the UK, 20 billion litres of water are extracted from rivers, streams and aquifers and treated for human use.

The treated water travels across a vast pipe network to reach homes and businesses nationwide. The water regulator Ofwat estimates that around a fifth of water is lost to leakage before it reaches homes and businesses.

But this is only an estimate – many homes and businesses don’t even have an old-fashioned water meter, meaning no one knows how much water is being used (or wasted through leakage).

Leaking billions of litres of water comes at a considerable cost in exacerbating water scarcity, a growing problem in our warming climate.

Additionally, the cost of wasting water through leakage means higher water bills for everyone.

With smart water meters at all homes and businesses, we would know exactly how and where water is being used and where it is not reaching its destination. The parts of the water network causing the massive water loss could be identified and fixed. Even better, new leaks that do occur could be detected within minutes and quickly fixed.

Which water companies provide smart water meters?

The rollout of smart water meters to homes is currently localised to places where water is most scarce.

Here are the water companies that are currently rolling out smart water meters to homes and the regions they are implementing their roll-out:

• Essex and Suffolk Water – All customers in its area.
• Yorkshire Water – Small-scale trial.
• Severn Trent Water – Coventry and Warwickshire.
• Anglian Water – All customers in its area, but starting with those in most water distress.
• Thames Water – Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Broxbourne, Camden, City of London, City of Westminster, Croydon, Dartford, Ealing, Elmbridge, Enfield, Epping Forest, Epsom and Ewell, East Hertfordshire, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sevenoaks, Southwark, Spelthorne, Tandridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Guildford, Mole Valley, Swindon, and Waverley.
• South East Water – Longfield and New Barn in Northern Kent.
• Portsmouth Water – All customers in the area.
• Southern Water – Brighton, Southampton, Andover and Midhurst.
• South West Water – Torrington, Devon.

Smart water meter – FAQs

Let’s answer your frequently asked questions about smart water meters.

Are smart water meters safe?

Yes. Smart meters communicate their readings using radio waves, just like these other standard devices:

• Laptops
• Baby Monitors
• WiFi Routers
• Mobiles connected to 4/5G

Since smart water meters only transmit the amount of water that has moved through a pipe, the amount of data they send is tiny, especially when you compare them to activities such as cloud gaming.

And, to be clear, the scientific consensus is that radiowaves are entirely non-harmful for people and that all smart meters comply with UK legislation and EU standards (Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive).

Is it cheaper to be on a smart water meter?

It depends on whether the smart water meter is for your home or a business.

For domestic water supplies:

Most homes in Britain currently do not have a water meter (neither smart or dumb), so their water bills are based on the property’s rateable value instead of actual consumption.

If you switch to a smart water meter, your bills will be calculated based on volumetric rates for each cubic metre of water used.

Our water experts have built a water meter calculator to help you determine whether you are likely to save money by upgrading to a water meter.

For commercial water supplies:

The business water rates for companies that upgrade to a smart business water meter are typically unaffected.

Will my old water meter be removed when the smart water meter is installed?

Not usually. Generally speaking, the cheapest way to get a smart meter is to upgrade an existing meter with a clip-on wireless device.

When completely new water meters need to be installed, they’ll usually have integrated wireless communications.

Do smart water meters use electricity?

Smart water meters only transmit a small amount of data representing the water flow through the pipe leading into your property. This means they only need a small amount of electricity.

The usual solution is a long-life battery that lasts at least ten years without replacement.

Are smart meters compulsory?

If your local water company wants to install a smart meter at your property, it will likely be mandatory (but free of charge).

There is an excellent reason for this: The smart meter roll-out is targeted to protect areas of high water scarcity.

For example, Thames Water started its rollout of smart water meters back in 2014 specifically to reduce the amount of water being extracted from the River Darent – a protected chalk stream that was running dry.