Metersave program, anybody can say anything? (Chicago: credit, attorney, house)

[Dressy]

There is a metersaver program in Chicago, available for some areas, where you can have a water meter installed for free and there is a garantee that your water bill will not exceed what you are paying now for 7 years.

https://www.metersave.org/

Anybody has done that?
Did you save any money on that?
How was your experience overall? I heard some horror stories that this meter can cause a leak.

We have a sfh , bungalo type and we like the idea of water conservation and saving money too )).
Right now we are paying $30 per month for water.
We do have rain water barrel right now, and use rain water in our garden and for washing the floors in the house. We also use a dishwater since they say it takes less water than washing by hands.
I am still undersided on the meter, since we aslo have a huge jacuzzy bath installed by the previous owner, which I find to be a hideous thing, but it would be too expensive now to replace it.

I will very much appreciate any input.

[sydbarrett]

Originally Posted by Dressy

We do have rain water barrel right now, and use rain water in our garden and for washing the floors in the house.

I don't think it is too wise to use rainwater to wash your floors in the house. Rainwater has all kinds of contaminants in it.

[Dressy]

Originally Posted by sydbarrett

I don't think it is too wise to use rainwater to wash your floors in the house. Rainwater has all kinds of contaminants in it.

Not sure if that is right, but isn't it the rainwater that goes on the vegetagle plants we all buy and eat in the grocery store. Anyway, I am not washing floors much too often anyway

[Dressy]

I actually found the answer here
H2Ohhhh ? | EveryBlock Chicago
So, I am planning to have one installed.
Too bad though, that we have already paid for half a year ahead, and the city ain't refunding anything ((

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by Dressy

I actually found the answer here
H2Ohhhh ? | EveryBlock Chicago
So, I am planning to have one installed.
Too bad though, that we have already paid for half a year ahead, and the city ain't refunding anything ((

If they won't refund the money, they should at least credit it towards your future bills. I don't know if that's the type of meter we got installed, but the city told me that we needed to get a new meter. Someone came to our house and installed it. Once we had it, they were able to do actual meter readings for our bills instead of using estimates. We had been paying $20 a month for water, but now the meter shows we use much less than what the estimates had been and we ended up with a $200+ credit balance. We haven't paid a water bill in over a year and we've still got almost $100 credit left. So, they better do that for you, at the very least.

We have a SFH as well... only the two of us in it most of the time, but we have 3.5 baths and don't really do anything in particular to conserve water (we have an irrigation system for our plants outside, for example). So, you should see your bill go down, if my house is any sort of indication.

[Dressy]

Originally Posted by nikitakolata

If they won't refund the money, they should at least credit it towards your future bills. I don't know if that's the type of meter we got installed, but the city told me that we needed to get a new meter. Someone came to our house and installed it. Once we had it, they were able to do actual meter readings for our bills instead of using estimates. We had been paying $20 a month for water, but now the meter shows we use much less than what the estimates had been and we ended up with a $200+ credit balance. We haven't paid a water bill in over a year and we've still got almost $100 credit left. So, they better do that for you, at the very least.

We have a SFH as well... only the two of us in it most of the time, but we have 3.5 baths and don't really do anything in particular to conserve water (we have an irrigation system for our plants outside, for example). So, you should see your bill go down, if my house is any sort of indication.

Nikitakolata! I am so grateful for your input and this very valuable information! I did not realize you can get a credit!!! AllI knew was from the discussion I read from that external link. I was thinking we could wait with water meter, since we already paid for half a year ahead, but now I see, that I should not wait a day! Thanks again.

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by Dressy

Nikitakolata! I am so grateful for your input and this very valuable information! I did not realize you can get a credit!!! AllI knew was from the discussion I read from that external link. I was thinking we could wait with water meter, since we already paid for half a year ahead, but now I see, that I should not wait a day! Thanks again.

Yes, they should definitely credit you if it turns out your usage isn't what they have been estimating. I didn't expect a credit at all and it wasn't something I asked for, it just showed up on our next bill. I was shocked by that, actually... never expected a government entity of any type to return money voluntarily!

[Dressy]

How did you apply? I am trying to enroll through metersave website but it keeps returning me an error message.
PS my rainbarrel is always full. with the amount of rain recently I do not know what to do with all this (contaminated!))) water. Guess what? this same water goes to the lake Michigan. Unbelievable, but true. And all that city does is put a generous amount of chlorine into it to sanitise it. My mome would refuse ameliorate cucumbers with water straight from the pipes - too much chlorine in it. She would let it sit for a day first.

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by Dressy

How did you apply? I am trying to enroll through metersave website but it keeps returning me an error message.
PS my rainbarrel is always full. with the amount of rain recently I do not know what to do with all this (contaminated!))) water. Guess what? this same water goes to the lake Michigan. Unbelievable, but true. And all that city does is put a generous amount of chlorine into it to sanitise it. My mome would refuse ameliorate cucumbers with water straight from the pipes - too much chlorine in it. She would let it sit for a day first.

Sorry, I have no idea how to apply. Maybe it is because our house was new construction or something, but the city contacted us to schedule to have the meter installed... Hopefully someone else knows.

[kimzmoney]

I have been trying to get a meter installed for almost a year now, I was told my bill needed to payed in full, went and paid the bill to $0.00. in about two weeks, began attempting to register for meter, unable to ever access the website, continued to get a message that I was not eligible at this time. after attempting for about two weeks I received another estimated bill for $450 odd dollars, which made me go down to the water department, I just cant understand this water bill system. I was told there that, because the next bill had been generated already I was not eligible for a meter, and they put me on a payment plan to pay the new bill, because I just can't afford these excessive estimated bills, but by the time I finished with the last payment in May, a new bill was generated in April for another $450 odd dollars, so yet again i'm deemed not eligible until I pay this estimated bill, which yet again I can't afford and will need to go back on a payment plan that will end in November, and a new bill will generate in October. What the? . I just want to pay for what I use, that's all. I January of this year a meter company came out and dug up the front yard, in preparations to install a meter i guess, said there was another old vault there, and they would have to come back, well I have yet to see them again, and that's my fault too, per water company. I guess i'll be contacting the Attorney Generals Office now to seek much need help.