Your water meter
There are several reasons why you'd want to be able to locate and read your water meter:
- First, you might be interested in just how much water you use in a day. By reading your meter at the beginning and the end of the day you can compare the two totals to tell how much water you and your family used.
- The second reason is to check for leaks. If you turn off all the taps in your house, look at your meter and it is still turning, chances are you have a leak somewhere. See How to check for leaks for more information.
How to understand your water meter
1. Locate Your Meter
Your water meter is generally located near the curb in front of your home. Meters should be clear of trees and shrubs to allow meter readers clear access.
2. Find the readings on your meter
Hunter Water meters look like this:
3. Read your meter
Hunter Water meters measure water in kilolitres (1 Kilolitre = 1000 litres). You are charged for each whole kilolitre of water you use in each billing period.
Kilolitres are recorded on the water meter.
In the meter reading display shown, the reading is taken from the black digits underneath the RMC label (shown with the word kilolitres on the right). The meter shown reads 1758 which is the total number of kilolitres of water recorded since the meter was installed. Our charge is based on units of 1 kilolitre -the meter reader ignores the smaller measurements.
For example, if by the time we read your meter you had used 200 kilolitres of water, the new reading would be 1958 (1758 plus 200). Again, we would disregard any information in the litres fields and your official reading would be 1958. Your bill would be calculated by subtracting the previous reading (1758) from the current reading (1958). You would then be billed for 200 kilolitres.
A leak on your property can waste thousands of litres of water, at considerable cost to you.
The easiest way to check for leaks is simply to turn everything off and look at the dial labelled Qn 2.5 – if there is any movement on it, you may have a leak.
To be completely thorough, follow these easy steps:
- Last thing at night - after you no longer need any water or need to flush the toilet, turn off all household and garden taps.
- Record your meter reading.
- First thing in the morning, before anyone uses any water (including flushing the toilet), read the meter again.
- Record the meter reading.
If there is a difference between the two readings you probably have a leak – and as leaks only tend to get worse, it pays to get a plumber to fix any problem as soon as possible.
Are Hunter Water meters accurate?
Sometimes people with high water accounts believe their meter is faulty – however, after we investigate we usually find they are working correctly.
In fact, faulty meters are quite rare. Water meters are precision instruments which are rigorously inspected and tested before they are installed. So it pays to check for leaks before asking us to check your meter.
If you would like us to proceed with a flow test of your water meter, you will be required to pay a "Workshop Test of Water Meter" charge, which forms part of Hunter Water's Miscellaneous Fees. If the meter is found to be faulty, this charge will be refunded to you.