Reading your meter

If you receive a bill based on an estimated reading and would like a bill based on a true reading we are happy to accept a reading taken by yourself and reissue the bill.

How to find your meter

Useful information on how to find your meter
• Meters can be fitted inside or outside the property.
• If the meter is fitted inside your property it will usually be near the inside stop valve and this could be under a sink unit.
• External meters are in an underground chamber in the drive, garden or footpath which is called a boundary box. To read the meter you will need to open the boundary box with a screwdriver. In some cases, the meter cover may be made of cast iron and will be heavy so you will need to take care. Some chambers have a foam disc which protects your meter from frost, if this exists you will need to remember to replace this.
• If your premises form part of a multi-occupied building, each property may have its own meter.  You will need to refer to your bill for the serial number of the meter and match this to the meter.

How to read your meter

Useful information when reading your meter
• The meter will record the amount of water you use in cubic meters (m3). One cubic meter is 1,000 litres or 220 gallons of water.
• The black or white digits are whole cubic metres and are the numbers we use when calculating your charges. The white digits on the red background (or red digits on a white background) show parts of a cubic metre and you do not need to read these when providing your own reading.
• Some meters may have black digits on a white background or white digits on a black background (as per the images below).
• Some meters may have four main dials rather than five (as per the images below).  Customers should not include any of the white digits on a red background (or red digits on a white background) in their meter reading.
• Please remember to close the boundary box after reading your meter. We guarantee to read your meter at least once per year and may need to request access your property.

Water meter reading with five dials

Water meter reading with four dials

How to submit your meter reading

You can submit your meter reading using our online form.  To complete this online form you will need to provide us with your customer reference number (printed at the top righthand side of your bill), your full name, email address and property address.  You can also call our Customer Centre on 0845 733 5566.

Useful links

Higher than expected consumption? - information regarding why your meter readings may be higher than expected.

How to check for leaks - information regarding how you can check for leaks.