Thames Water smart-meter roll-out

Just had a visit by a chap from Thames Water.

They’re installing smart meters in Honor Oak and have scheduled installation in early March for my house.

I had some questions:

• How does it work for Victorian half-houses like mine, with a shared water supply from the street?
  A meter is installed under the sink in each half house
• What’s the likely impact on bills?
  Nothing for two years, but comparison reports will be sent every three months. When smart billing is activated, apparently 60% of customers benefit financially or see their bills remain the same
• How big is the meter under my sink?
  The size of a can of beans

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Has anyone else had a smart-meter fitted? How’s it going so far?

Do you have to accept the meter?

A few years ago in Camberwell I invited Thames Water to install a meter. At that time I lived on my own so felt my water usage was way below the “average” from which my bills were derived. However, there were unable to install a meter in my property, something about the location of the “split” for the two units in the house.

I was then offered a 20% single person discount.

Wonder if that policy still applies?

From their pamphlet:

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Since installing a meter my bills went down from £26 to £16 a month so was worth it for me

Due to real concerns about the lack of water in London …

Not from SE23, we very often have water spontaneously erupting from the ground and it doesn’t stop for days.

How’s this for ridiculous. I’m working with a company that has a technology which can refurbish London’s potable water pipes by effectively building a new pipe from the inside that is both structural, cheap and done with a minimum of disruption to the surface or break in water supply.

This innovation has been stalled by the water regulator.

Thames Water has a page which should advise when smart metering is being rolled out in your area. But the search function is not recognising my post code. I’ve tried entering in different formats and on both my laptop and mobile devices. Would anyone else have any luck?

Same for me

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When you hover your cursor over the link, the url displayed on screen looks very odd! You’re sure it’s safe? I can’t find a link to a page like this by working from the Thames Water home page.

Edit: this page (which has a better-looking url) seems to be the same - and has the same problem: http://secure.thameswater.co.uk/dynamic/cps/rde/xchg/comm/hs.xsl/17063_17065.htm

You can get straight to that smart meter site from this Thames Water page: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/my-account/water-meters/smart-metering

I assume Thames Water have contracted this out and the smart meter company haven’t got themselves a domain name.

@RachaelDunlop is quite right - you can indeed get to that Thames Water postcode checker that @starman referred to. Apologies for causing a kerfuffle but you just can’t be too careful these days.

However, the postcode checker still doesn’t work so I guess that it’s broken somehow. Flood-damaged, perhaps.

I reported it through Facebook and also asked about when my address on Sunderland Road might see the introduction of Smart Meters. They’ve replied advising the bookings will be made in the next two weeks.

So I guess roll out is moving at a fast pace in Forest Hill.

Had water meters in last 5 properties always saved money against the rate based on your council tax band. Have a flat in the points my tenant requested a meter on my suggestion water company cannot install one so got a discount instead. Quite possibly if the smart meter can be installed at the stopcock inside the property then metering may be possible.

My gas and electric supplier wanted to fit a smart meter, but I have declined. I don’t see an upside for the consumer in allowing yet more household data across the internet.

I agree somewhat but it is inevitable they will be installed or you will pay a premium to have meter reading?
I personally cannot see the benefit of the energy monitor function though as having tried it once you put the kettle on the rating shows your bill will be hundreds of course assuming the kettle boils for a month. So unless they are truly intelligent cannot see the point in monitor function, however just to record the monthly usage for the bill seems innocuous. Currently just enter the meter readings online and the come and check once a year to see if you are fibbing.

I can’t even get the page to come up asking for me to put in my postcode!
Anyone remember a couple of years ago Thames Water vans had signs on them saying how much new pipeline they’d installed the previous year? My reaction was, I’ve got snails in my garden go further than that in a year!

Received a letter yesterday with a request to contact Thames Water about a meter. I’m on Sunderland Road.

I’m in a half house, but we didn’t have any meter installed under the sink. I don’t recall anything in the legal pack saying we had a shared water supply either.

Water meter is definitely worth it don’t know anyone who has not saved money. That is unless you have a swimming pool or lawn sprinkler you use daily.

Ermmm.

Water bills are based on rateable value except when metered. In apartment blocks such as Standlake Point they offer a discount as it is not possible to fit individual meters. As for remote enabled meters cannot see any problems? Saves the chap opening the pavement to read the dial. So cannot see a negative.

When I asked for Meter my bill went down from£26 to£16 a month

Does anyone have a contact number for the rollout? They were doing street by street but strangely just missed our street completely…

I got my leaflet last week (Mayow Road)

Contact information: thameswater.co.uk/mymeter
0800 316 0989

We had a water meter installed (Kilgour Road) about 2 weeks ago. They are supposed to be writing to us to say when it will be activated, but no news yet! I wanted to order a hippo for the toilet, but I’ve been told I can’t till then

We had our smart meter installed about a month ago and a notice received about a week ago that it has been activated. I haven’t received a note yet how to log in to the online account so will probably chase them.

I just received a call purportedly from Thames Water offering a half our Smarter Home Visit to see how we can reduce our water use. They wanted to book a visit over the phone. I was reluctant to do so as there was little verification on who the caller was.

After the call I did a Google Search for the London 020 # and it seems its often used by Carphone Warehouse. So probably a service which Thames Water has contracted out. The Thames Water does mention the Smarter Home Visits.

Has anyone booked or received a Smarter Home Visit?

@starman I also received this call today and the man at the other end got a bit shirty with me! We tried to activate our account the other day but that part of the website was down so couldn’t. He was adamant he wanted to arrange a visit to give me “lots of water saving gadgets” but I said I’d call back once I’d activated the account…please do share if this visit is worth it if you go ahead!

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/Be-water-smart/Were-water-smart

Thanks @MackemJo

He was a bit pushy. I said I would call back to make an appointment if I wanted to proceed. He asked if he could enter me as no response to allow someone else to follow up. I said no.

we had our meter fitted in about May/June. I rang Thames water myself after it was fitted & was told once we had a letter saying it was activated we could arrange a home visit. When the letter came, it just said if we wanted to arrange a visit to ring, which I did. Whether it was because I got it over & done with quickly (the visit I mean) that we didn’t get a phone call.
He came & just checked we had no leaking taps, put a swivel device on the kitchen tap, which we have found useful & just asked what we use, showers, baths etc…A few days later we received an e-mail telling us how much we should save by being on a meter & if after receiving the 2nd bill we want to change over we can by just ringing again to set up our account. At least if we are going to save money, if we change in the first year the money we save goes on our account. Hope this is helpful. In other words ring them yourself & you can arrange a time convenient to yourself!

Thanks. Though from the description of the visit it doesnt seem worth the time.

Hi similar they fitted lots of water saving devices on taps. Very nice man. Also requested a plumber to fix our leaky toilet who has since sorted this. All for free. I think it will cost us more to switch over and can see it makes sense to offer these services but i was impressed as will need to get family to stop wasting water before it becomes mandatory.

Yes I can see where you are coming from.

We have had our first comparison bill & it looks as though we will save money, but he did say wait until we have received at least 2 bills before we make a decision within the year. I’m quite keen NOT to give Thames water any more money than I need to as they waste water by the gallons when pipes spring a leak in the road!

I had a meter in a new build rental in Camberwell - the water bills were the most I’ve ever paid, anywhere, and that was before having kids. Considering the amount of washing and bathing that goes on with 4 of us in my place now, we politely refused the meter when the bloke cam round in HoP a couple of months ago.

I thought they were now mandatory?
We still haven’t got one (Cranston Road) as the council or some road crew has tarmac’d over the outside stop cock. The whole thing has completely disappeared!
Thames Water really seem to struggle to cope with those of use who aren’t in during the day. We have tried to arrange an evening appointment but they seem to be like Hens Teeth.

Me too. Though the guy who surveyed the property for suitability said we could opt out. In our case the stopcock was in a kitchen cupboard and installing the water meter could be a bit awkward. It wasn’t but that was enough excuse for us opt out according to him.

Yeah, the chap said that we’re going to have one eventually whether we like it or not. I’m sure some people will end up saving but until my kids learn to keep food off their clothes and out of their hair then I think it’s best to hold out as long as possible.

We received a letter just saying they were installing them & we would all be on water meters in London within the next 2 years to save water & they don’t need access to your property, they just dig a hole in the pavement where the stop cock is, if as you say they can find it! So didn’t have any choice.

Similarly, we can’t have one because the existing stop cock is buried in tree roots. They tried and failed to install a water meter earlier this year. I don’t want one in the house.