Are solar panels worth it? Cost, savings and payback
What a typical system costs, the two parts of the saving, and payback from 12 to 22 years in our examples.
Without a meter, your water bill is based on the old rateable value of your home, not on how much water you use. With a meter, you pay for what you use plus a standing charge. Which one is cheaper comes down mostly to how many people live in your home.
The Consumer Council for Water says households with more bedrooms than people are the most likely to save with a meter. The average water and sewerage bill in England and Wales for 2026/27 is £639.
How much water a household uses
The Environment Agency puts average use in England at about 137 litres per person a day. A cubic metre is 1,000 litres, so each person uses about 50 cubic metres a year.
The table uses example metered charges of £4.50 a cubic metre for water and sewerage together, plus £60 a year of standing charges, against an example unmetered bill of £550. Your own company's charges will differ.
| People | Water a year | Metered bill | Against £550 unmetered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 m³ | £285 | £265 less |
| 2 | 100 m³ | £510 | £40 less |
| 3 | 150 m³ | £735 | £185 more |
| 4 | 200 m³ | £960 | £410 more |
A single person in a home with a high rateable value often saves the most. A family in a smaller home may pay more on a meter. How you use water matters too: shorter showers, full loads in the washing machine and fixing a dripping tap all bring a metered bill down.
Getting a meter fitted
- It is free. In England and Wales you can ask your water company to fit a meter and it will not charge you.
- If one cannot be fitted, for example in some flats, the company may offer an assessed charge instead, based on a typical bill for a home like yours.
- You can switch back. The law gives you 12 months to go back to unmetered charges, and the Consumer Council for Water says most companies now allow two years.
- Some cannot switch back. If you move into a home that already has a meter, or you live in an area where metering is compulsory, you stay on the meter.
In Scotland, household water and sewerage charges are collected with council tax and are based on your council tax band, so this comparison does not apply in the same way.
Check your own home
The water meter calculator compares your current bill with a metered estimate, using your household size and your water company's charges. The household bills calculator puts water alongside your other bills.
Sources: Consumer Council for Water, Should I get a water meter fitted?, Water meter calculator and What if I move to a property with a meter?; Discover Water, Annual bill; Environment Agency, Water resources 2025 to 2026; mygov.scot, Public water and sewerage services. Metered charges in the table are example figures. Checked 1 November 2026.
This is general information, not financial or tax advice.
It explains published rules and figures. Your own position depends on your full circumstances,
so speak to a qualified adviser before acting on it.