Utilities costs could be cut over the long term by the metering, which encourages householders to waste less water.
Compulsory water metering will be in place in the UK in two decades' time, an Environmental Agency (EA) report is set to say.
The upcoming release of the study later this week will set out a blueprint for the scheme, the Observer reports. Water metering, which will discourage waste, is being introduced over concerns that climate change is leading to lower supplies from rivers, aquifiers and reservoirs.
Across the country, the EA sees total flows falling from 50 to 80 percent by 2050 - despite the government already having committed to cutting national carbon emissions by 80 percent by the same date.
A recent report from regulator Ofwat showed that bills will rise by 4.1 percent this year, bringing the annual household average up to £342. However, the introduction of mandatory metering would likely cut usage, putting downwards pressure on bills over the long term.
South-east England, one of the warmest areas of the country, is identified by the group as an area under particular threat. "Everyone will have to play a part in cutting water use," Trevor Bishop, head of the agency's water resources policy, was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "It will touch all our lives."
