Why we're fitting meters

You may not think it, particularly on a rainy day, but the region we live in has 50% less rainfall than the rest of the UK.

With demand for water higher at times than what’s available, the Environment Agency has officially designated the South East of England as being in 'serious water stress'.

Along with other water companies, we've worked hard to make sure there's enough water to go round, helping avoid the need in recent years to bring in temporary restrictions on using water - for example, what used to be known as 'hose-pipe bans'.

Future challenges

However, our efforts continue, as we face a range of challenges, including:

• Population growth - the population in the South East has grown by more than 1.2 million people since 2002, currently at 9.2 million
• Climate change - It's predicted that hotter, drier weather will mean that droughts will become more common and more severe in future
• Protecting the environment - We need to take less water from local rivers, streams and underground water sources to safeguard nature and wildlife.

How water meters help

Reducing demand for water is an important part of how we will successfully meet the above challenges and keep you and our other customers supplied with water at all times.

Evidence shows that, on average, homes with a water meter use 15 per cent less than homes without one. So, metering is a cost effective and sustainable way to encourage people to use water more wisely and bring down overall demand. Metering also helps customers manage their bills, as they understand how much water they are using.

Remember, we've got lots of free advice and support for you on saving water, energy and money on your bills - just click here.

We can also offer a range of help and support if you're worried about paying your water bills. For more details, please click here.

If we all use a little bit less, it will make a big difference and you'll be doing your bit to help protect our local rivers and streams, which we rely upon for our water supplies.

Furthermore, if less water is being used, less energy will be needed to treat it and pump it to customers’ homes, and that means less carbon emissions, again, something that’s good for the environment.

So, by having a water meter, so you can understand how much you're using and how you can use water more wisely, you'll be helping create a greener and cleaner future.

If you have any questions or concerns about our metering programme, you can call us on 01737 919485 or email metering@seswater.co.uk.