Pat wrote:

It is likely that they are NOT charging you more for the water (in
fact, it might actually be less) but they are charging you more for
the meter. That's common.

The charge may also reflect peak water demand (flow.) If everyone has
2" pipes, the water supplier needs bigger pipes too. Olde English houses
have 1/4" water supply lines and tanks in the attic, which is handy for
catastrophes, eg firefighting after a blitz.

Nick