We’re bringing smart water meters to Suffolk. These innovative meters will help us to protect our resources in areas of water scarcity whilst also helping you to monitor your own water usage through regular meter readings. This will lead to more accurate bills and can help you to save money. We’ll be working hard over the next two years to make these meters available in Suffolk and we will keep you fully up to date with what is happening and when.
Here are some questions asked by customers that you might find helpful.
What’s a water meter?
Water meters are a great tool to help you understand how much water you use in your home, you may learn ways in which you could save water which in turn really helps the environment. As well as this, water meters help us to understand our network and ensure it is performing at its best. The meters we’re fitting use smart technology. Hourly reads are automatically taken on and sent to us daily. We’ll confirm everything you need to know about the meter when it’s fitted.
Why am I getting a meter?
This is part of our ongoing work to improve our service and understand how we all use water. Water meters are vital to help us support communities better, they:
Will I need to be at home when you’re fitting the meter?
No. We don’t need access to your home. The engineer will still knock on your door to let you know what’s happening and drop information through your door before they leave. It will take about 20 minutes - your water will be off for about 10 minutes.
Will I have to pay anything extra for the meter or the fitting?
No. Your water charges cover everything in our service. You won’t be getting any extra charges for the meter or the fitting.
Can I change to metered billing (only pay for what I use)?
Yes, as soon as your meter’s been fitted. It’s quick and easy and we’ll let you have all the information on the day the meter’s fitted.
I’ve already asked you to fit a meter – do I need to do anything?
No. If you’re waiting to hear from us, we’ll be in touch soon to book your appointment. If we’ve already given you a date, it will go ahead as planned. After the meter is fitted, you’ll go onto metered billing within 28 days.
Will you share the data you collect from the meter with anyone?
No, your information is safe with us and won't be shared. We'll use the data we collect to help us improve our network to keep the water flowing and protect precious water supplies for the future. For more information about how Essex & Suffolk Water use your personal data you can visit our website at eswater.co.uk/privacy
Do I need internet or a smart phone for my meter to work?
No, we use our own secure network that is attached the meter itself and uses its own technology to send data to us, so it doesn’t need you to have any internet connection for it to work. If you want to see your own data at either hourly, weekly or monthly level you will need to be able to access your on line account or an app on a mobile device. Your bill will have your usage data on it for the period of billing.