Homes in England with big gardens could be charged more for water bills A trade body has called for compulsory water meters to target high consumers such as households with pools. A trade body has called for compulsory water meters to target high consumers such as households with pools. Homes in England with "big gardens" could be charged more for water bills under a proposed shake-up. A trade body has called for compulsory water meters to target high consumers such as households with pools. Water UK, an industry body that represents 16 water and sewage companies in England and Wales, will call for water metering to be made compulsory and for an overhaul in how household bills are calculated. ‌ Water UK will call on the Labour Party government to introduce new legislation that will allow water companies to implement “block tariffs”, with the unit price of water higher for households that consume more. Article continues below READ MORE Drivers urged to follow one unwritten rule that'll save them £9,000 It would mean that households with swimming pools or big gardens pay more for their water while others pay less. David Henderson, the chief executive of Water UK, said the “expectation that there will always be sufficient water for people to use however they liked. ‌ "But as we see with population growth and climate change, that assumption is no longer true. We think it is much fairer that people pay for the water they use based on how much they use, with full protection in place for those who have a genuine need for additional use of water above the average.” “Bill rises are never welcome but as a result of bills falling in real terms since 2010 up until this month, we have had much less investment than we needed,” he said. Ofwat said it was “already working with the industry, investors, consumer and environmental groups to drive changes to deliver a sustainable water sector”. Article continues below The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are committed to taking decisive action to fix the water industry. We have already delivered on our promise to put water companies under tough special measures through our landmark Water Act, introducing new powers to ban the payment of bonuses to polluting water bosses and bring tougher criminal charges against them if they break the law. “The Water Commission’s recommendations will mark the next major step in shaping future legislation.”