Anglian Water’s upgraded metering programme is forecast to save the environment seven million litres of water between 2020 to 2025 by helping spot and resolve leaks in customers’ homes and even more by encouraging behaviour change in how people use water.

The water company said its largest ever smart water metering installation programme is already helping customers better understand their water usage, plus detecting leaks quicker both on the customer side and across its network, in a bid to save both water and money off bills.

The programme has saved Anglian Water customers approximately £15 million off annual water bills in the last year alone, which equates to an average of £251.97 per customer.

Since the first meters were installed in 2020, Anglian Water has helped customers find and resolve more than 100,000 leaks at their properties.

As well as helping finding and fixing customer-side leaks, Anglian Water said it is continuing to put more resources into finding and fixing leaks in its network, using innovative techniques and a bigger team than ever before, driving down leakage rates to industry leading low levels and half as many leaks as any other water company per kilometre of water main.

In addition to the millions of pounds worth of savings on water bills, by detecting leaks in customers’ homes sooner, the smart meters have also saved customers from a potentially costly clean up from water damage to their homes and belongings from leaks that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Ian Rule, Director of Water for Anglian Water commented:

“Through our smart meter programme, we’re helping our customers to understand their water usage and help spot when pipes or appliances in their home may be costing them and the environment unnecessarily.”

“As the driest region of the country, most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and with the fastest growing population, we’re planning now for a future with more people and fewer raindrops. We invest heavily into resilient infrastructure and continue to drive leakage in our networks down to industry leading low levels. But we all play a part in using water more sustainably, to keep as much water in the environment as possible, and we recognise our role in helping our customers to use less and save more too.

“So far, we’ve fitted more than half a million smart meters in customers’ homes and we’re already starting to see significant reductions in the amount of water we need to abstract from the environment as our customers use their smart meter data to reduce their water usage. This is really helping to protect our regions precious rivers and the ecosystems that depend upon them.”

On average, the East of England is the driest in the UK receiving a third less rainfall than anywhere else in the country, meaning future water scarcity is the most significant challenge the company faces. Helping customers use less water, not only helps saves them money off their bills, but also forms a substantial part of Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP).

The upgraded metering programme is just one part of the water company’s plan to protect future water resources, alongside tackling leakage, proposals for two new reservoirs and the installation of a huge new strategic water mains longer than the M6 that will bring water from the wettest parts in the north to the driest parts in the south and east.

Anglian Water aiming to install 1.1 million new upgraded water meters by 2025 plus further 1.2 million to be installed between 2025-2030

Anglian Water is aiming to install 1.1 million new upgraded water meters in homes and businesses across the region by 2025 as part of a five-year project costing more than £180 million, with a further 1.2 million to be installed between 2025-2030.

Current locations being upgraded to the new smart meter are the most water stressed and fastest growing parts of Anglian Water’s region including areas in Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Essex and Lincolnshire. Teams are working around the clock to install and activate the meters and with very little disruption for most customers as meters are typically located outside the home.