Consumer champion Martin Lewis says households can save money by getting a water meter fitted - and it all depends on how many bedrooms you have.
Brits are set to pay more for their water bills this year with the average cost rising £7 to £419 .
Around 1.1million people need help paying these bills already, according to trade body Water UK .
But MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis said fitting a water meter can help bring these costs down.
A water meter is a device that records the amount of water being used in your home.
This is then used by your supplier to work out how much you should be billed, instead of your household being charged a fixed rate.
Speaking on BBC 5 Live yesterday, Lewis said his rule of thumb is that if you have, for example, a four bed house with only two people in it, a water meter should save you money.
How much money have you saved with a water meter? Let us know at mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
Speaking on the ITV Money Show earlier this week, he said: “If there are more or the same number of bedrooms as there are people in your home if you live in England and Wales - it is likely that a water meter will cut your costs.
“Go onto ccwater.org.uk which is the Consumer Council for water.”
This website lets you know how getting a water meter might affect you.
You’ll be asked questions about your water use, including how many showers you take a week, your dishwasher use and what you’re paying at the moment.
The calculator will then give you an estimated cost of what you’d pay on a water meter.
Lewis went on: “when you apply for a water meter you have up to a year, usually as long as you are not forced to have one, to change your mind.
"The reason this all works is because the rate is based on the value of your house.”
If you don't have a meter, water bills are based on the rateable value of your house.
So the bigger it is, the more you pay.
But water meters simply take into account how much water you use.
How can I get a water meter?
Water meters are free in England and Wales. You’ll need to speak to your water supplier and ask if they can install one for you.
If a water company isn’t able to install one - for example, if you share pipes with a neighbour - you do still have options.
If they say you can’t have a meter fitted, then you can ask for an assessed charge, which is roughly equivalent to what you pay on a water meter.
Another way to cut down your water bill is to minimise your usage through water-saving gadgets.
Households across much of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can bag a range of free insulation and devices through Save Water Save Money.
There are 600,000 freebies in total but what is available to you depends on where you live and your water company, so it can be a postcode lottery.
