Calculator clocks up £2.4 million in potential bill savings

THOUSANDS of households identified potential annual savings on their water bills totalling almost £2.4 million in January after our water meter calculator was featured on a popular ITV consumer show.

Money saving expert Martin Lewis encouraged viewers of his live bill-busting special to use the calculator to see whether they might be better off on a water meter – and within seconds thousands of savvy households had logged on to do the sums.

The sudden wave of interest saw almost 40,000 households use the online tool during January – the most visits the calculator has seen in a single month since September 2016 when it featured extensively on BBC One’s Rip Off Britain.

Just under a third of the 29,000 people who recorded details of their visit to the calculator felt they were likely to make a saving by switching and 4,000 households said they were ready to get in touch with their water company and make the switch.

The average annual saving for customers who used the calculator and were likely to be better off on a meter was £220.

During his live show, Martin Lewis pointed out that water companies will give you two years to trial a meter if you request one. You then have the option to switch back for free if you’re unhappy or haven’t made a saving. Our calculator will help you work out what the potential savings might be.

Switching is not an option in some parts of southern and south east England where water companies are introducing compulsory metering as part of wider efforts to improve the management of water supplies in areas where our resources are most under stress.