HC Deb 06 November 1995 vol 265 cc600-1W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 23 October,Official Report, column 410, what proportion of domestic premises in each of the English regional water companies were fitted with water meters in (a) 1994–95, (b) 1993–94 and (c) 1992–93. [41223]

Mr. Clappison

In 1993–94 and 1994–95 the proportion of metered water customers of the 10 water and sewerage companies was as follows:

Households percentage1
1994–95 1993–9
Anglian 11.2 6.1
Dwr Cymru 2.7 2.5
North West 4.1 3.0
Northumbrian 0.6 0.4
Severn Trent 7.0 6.2
South West 6.9 5.4
Southern 11.2 10.5
Thames 4.8 4.1
Wessex 8.4 6.6
Yorkshire 5.4 4.1
1 Company estimates. Comparable information for 1992–93 is not available.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 23 October,Official Report, column 410, what is the current charge made by each of the English regional water companies for the installation of a water meter in domestic premises. [41222]

Mr. Clappison

Where water companies adopt a programme of metering they do not make a charge to customers for the cost of installing the meter. Where a customer chooses to have a meter, the customer pays for the installation. The amount varies between companies and Ofwat is pressing hard to secure lower installation charges where companies' charges are too high. The current charges made by each of the water companies are shown in tables 5.1 and 5.2 in Ofwat's 1995–96 report on tariff structures and charges, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.