Bucks residents are divided as to whether a new Thames Water scheme to install smart meters in customers' homes without their consent is 'a good idea' or 'Stalinesque'.

Thames Water is currently in the process of rolling-out smart water meters across the "water stressed" region of London and the Thames Valley.

While Martin Braint, who lives in Little Marlow said he "can't see the issue" with the new scheme, which helps people to regulate their water usage, fellow resident Richard Parker was concerned about the financial impact it could have in the long term. 

Mr Braint said: "Most people's water meters are outside, and many are at the junctions between personal property and the road, except in older properties when it might be inside, underneath a kitchen sink.

"I think water meters are a good idea because you can see how much you're using. People are very wasteful with water. I haven't heard from anyone in Little Marlow who's unhappy with it."

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Mr Parker, who is co-chair of the Marlow Society, acknowledged that many would benefit from having smart meters in their homes, but said he believes it should be a voluntary scheme.

"It does seem Stalinesque that Thames Water has the power to enforce water meters on residents.

"It will affect people in Marlow who do have leaks, perhaps unwittingly, on their property. After having a water meter fitted, which will be on the road, the leaks will have to be repaired at the residents' own cost or they will face very high bills.

"Marlow has a high number of Victorian properties which have old and therefore leaky pipes, so quite a number may be impacted." 

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Technology plays a critical role in addressing leaks, reducing water consumption and making our water network more resilient in the face of a growing population and climate change.

“Whilst we don’t need permission to fit smart meters, they are the fairest option for customers, as people only pay for the water they use. On average, metered customers tend to use 12 per cent less water and they help us to tackle customer-side leaks, protecting water supplies in the process.

“We have legal powers to fit water meters at all properties in our region and under legislation, customers cannot refuse them. However, we always assess the suitability of a meter for each property, and we will always write to customers to advise them of our smart meter roll-out.”