The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has welcomed the decision taken by nine water companies to give customers two years to try out a water meter and switch back for free if they decide it’s not for them.

Millions of households are now being offered a longer trial period to test whether a water meter could save them money.

The extension to the previous one-year trial period was introduced this month by Severn Trent Water, Yorkshire Water, Wessex Water, South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, Portsmouth Water, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water, following negotiations with CCWater.

The decision means a total of thirteen water companies now offer a two-year switching trial - Northumbrian Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Anglian Water and United Utilities having already adopted this approach.

CCWater has pledged to continue to press other water companies to follow suit, apart from in areas of the South East of England where universal metering programmes are already in place. Customers of Southern Water and South East Water do not have the option to switch back to unmeasured charges due to the two companies’ universal metering programmes.

Andy White, Senior Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water, said:

“Giving customers a longer trial period is a great way to encourage more households to take the plunge and try a meter.”

“Water meters won’t benefit everyone but in some cases people can save more than £100 a year. But even a much smaller saving could make all the difference to the one in eight customers who tell us their water bill is unaffordable.”

Almost half of households across England and Wales are currently charged for their water using a meter.

The water watchdog separately provides an online water meter calculator which is used by thousands of people who use every month to check whether they might  make a  saving – visit www.ccwater.org.uk for more information.