I AM writing in response to the letter from Mr Jeatt (February 8) about Southern Water’s metering programme.

People on a water meter tend to use about ten per cent less water, so we are installing water meters for the majority of our customers across the south-east to make sure we can continue to supply quality drinking water to a region officially defined as ‘water stressed’ by the Government.

The vast majority of our customers agree paying for the amount of water they use, as measured by a meter, is the fairest way to charge and puts them in control of their bills.

Our £83m metering programme is a part of a wider £1.8 billion investment programme to 2015 to deliver service and environmental improvements for our region.

While our charges for 2012/13 have risen to meet the enormous cost of our investment, we have worked hard to ensure that those increases are kept to a minimum.

As a result of customers on a meter only paying for what they use, the average 2012/13 metered water bill for Southern Water customers is £57 lower than for those who are not metered – £391 compared with £448.

Our regulator Ofwat sets out how much water companies can spend and how much they can charge customers. If we need to supply less water as a result of introducing meters, this would reduce some of our operating costs and this would be recognised by Ofwat when the price limits are set in 2015 for the next five years.

Log on to our website southernwater.co.uk/meteri ng for more information or call the Metering Contact Centre on 0333 2003 012.

DARREN BENTHAM, Director of Metering, Southern Water.