Most meters are read by the water company themselves twice a year and your water bills will usually be based on actual meter readings.

It’s also possible that you don’t have a water meter at all. In this case, your usage is unlimited and unmeasured and your bill will be fixed at a monthly rate that you can’t control.

Finding your meter

Most meters are on the public footpath/pavement outside your house or in the front garden. Occasionally it is located inside the house next to the stop tap (used to turn off the water supply in your home). For flats, it’s typically in a communal cupboard or can be managed and billed by your leaseholder rather than individual inhabitants.

The meter’s appearance can vary but typically look like the photos you’ll find in a simple web image search.

You will generally find the meter in a small chamber under a metal or plastic cover. Underneath the cover you may see a polystyrene plug which protects your meter against frost and debris. Remember to replace this when you have finished.

Reading your meter

On the meter face, there are two sets of numbers, black on the left and red on the right. Only make a note of the black numbers – ignore the red ones.

Submitting your meter reading to acasa

Note: This only applies if you’re paying your bills directly through acasa with our Bills Included package.

Open the acasa app, and go to the ‘Bills’ page. Simply tap the ‘Meter Readings’ button, and then tap ‘Water’. Remember to only input the black numbers. Then tap ‘Submit’.

And that’s it – we’ll take it from there. Next time we’re checking your water account, we may use your reading to inform how much you’ve been using.

Submitting your meter reading to the water provider

There’s typically no need to inform the water company during your tenancy, but it can be helpful during the move-in process.

You can sometimes provide the reading in an online portal for the water company. Here’s how to find out your water provider.