THE instant corollary that strikes the consumer's mind when water metering is mentioned is bigger bills.

What, then, of the report today that suggests that most households with low incomes would be better off if their water supply was metered?

The fact is that meters themselves are benign. It is the tariffs that count.

This fact is underlined today by a research group study suggesting that eight out of 10 poorer families could safely cut down on water use and benefit from lower bills.

It is an important consideration, especially when in low-income homes the difficulties of meeting utility bills are often real and economy on something as vital to health and hygiene as water can be risky.

But the report's crucial conclusion is that tariffs for metered water must be carefully set. The idea is that by offering water to cover essential needs at a low cost and raising the price for using larger quantities, the amount used could be cut by up to 20 per cent. Fine. But who fixes the tariffs?

Without the benefit of competition, the independent regulation of charges would have to be a whole lot better than it is now for water-users to put their trust in meters - given the soaking they have already had since privatisation.

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