Understanding attitudes towards Smart Water Meters

Over the next five years, water companies in England and Wales are planning to install more smart water meters than ever before.

Smart water meters offer many benefits. They can help people understand and reduce their water use, which could save money. They can also help to find leaks in homes and businesses as well as in water companies’ networks. Reducing leaks and saving water makes our water supply more reliable and helps protect the environment.

We carried out this research to understand people’s expectations about smart water meters. We looked at how customers want to receive information about their water use, how they want to interact with this information, what motivates them to stay engaged and change their habits.

One of the challenges for water companies will be how they can encourage their customers to engage with and act on the information provided by the smart water meter. Companies will need to build stronger relationships with their customers, highlight the benefits of smart meters and offer something in return — like rewards or gamification.

Key findings

• Most people acknowledge that tracking water use can help detect unusual water use patterns, but won’t actively engage unless water companies provide reminders and incentives.
• Customers who don’t see saving money as a potential or benefit will need tailored communications and support. As the cost-of-living crisis continues, appropriate financial support will be vital for many households.
• Apps are the most preferred way to check data from the smart water meter — customers see them as quicker and easier to use than online portals. The information should be simple, visually clear, and easy to understand.
• People prefer to see information about their water use in money terms rather than in volume (e.g., litres or cubic metres).
• People want to compare their own past water use rather than against similar households. They want to track their own usage rather than benchmark against others.

Note: In the context of this report, a smart water meter records how much water is being used by a household and sends this information (which can then be shared with customers) automatically to the water company at regular intervals through a secure communications network.  Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water customers were not included in the sample because the company will be installing a different type of water meter during 2025-30 that does not allow the same level of potential interaction with customers.