The number of water meters installed in homes across England and Wales has risen above 10 million, as suppliers in drought prone areas in the South of England force their customers to accept them.
Many families find they are paying less, but more than a third are seeing significant increases and some people's bills are doubling. Major companies, including Southern Water, Thames Water and South East water, are starting compulsory water metering. The water industry expects that 50% of homes will have meters by spring next year. Mark Phippen, from Hedge End near Southampton, told BBC News he had been warned his family's bill would nearly double, from £387 to £763 a year, after a meter was put in early in the year. "We knew it would go up, but doubling the amount we pay was a bit of a shock," he said.....Read more here