Water firms to force meters on clients

Water companies are to be given new powers to force meters on millions of families amid claims it is necessary to cope with droughts.
New powers to adopt compulsory metering are to be given to those companies which can show they are in so-called 'water stress' areas.

However, the Government plans to direct every water company in the country to consider imposing meters on customers to solve water shortage problems. The most immediate impact is likely to be felt across southern Britain, where as many as eight m homes, housing 18.9m people, could be required to have meters within ten years.

Compulsory metering is highly controversial for the cost of installation, which is likely to be more than £1.3bn, will be passed on to householders in the form of higher bills.

There are fears that metering is a particular burden for large, low-income families. To date the introduction of meters has been sold to consumers on the promise that they can save money compared with the traditional payment system linked to a property's rateable value.
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