Who is responsible for a broken water meter?

Being bank holiday weekend, thought I would take the opportunity of going through the bill drawer and actually decided to read the last water bill and noticed that the water volume used in the previous 6 months was zero. I am being charged various other standing charges amounting to £60 but no apparent charge for my water usage.

I have lived in this property for a very long time and this is the first time I have scrutinised my water bill (as payments go out regularly by DD so thought all was well) - what happens if my water meter has never worked? Or worked when I moved in but subsequently broke? Surely the water company have a responsibility to ensure that their equipment is working correctly. Do they ever check their equipment?? Don't they do regular checks of properties that continue to show zero consumption??

Whilst writing this, another thought has occurred to me, this was a new property that I moved into, so it could be that the meter was never switched on 20 years ago? Is this likely??

Being an honest soul I will have to report my findings but realise that I may have to pay back the previous 6 years of water - but in all honesty I really thought I was paying for my water and have relied on my water supplier to bill me appropriately.

Any advice much appreciated.

Comments

  • deanos
    deanos Posts: 11,219
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    The water co is responsible for the meter, as for being on zero consumption then its mostly up to the meter reader, when it comes up as zero consumption they would have a number of options, they might just have put it down as empty property for example so wont trigger further investigation, a meter reader doing his job properly and saw zero consumption in a occupied property would put it down as meter stopped or similar which would trigger an investigation and a inspector would come out and investigate.

    It depends on the water co on how far back they will bill you and what procedures then have in place, some may only go back a year some go back 6 years.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    Welcome to the forum.

    Many properties are unoccupied, so it is not unusual for there to be zero consumption. As every account is managed by computers, with little human intervention, it is no surprise that it isn't picked up.

    It is of course perfectly possible that 'your' meter is not even connected to your main water supply.

    Never noticed for 20 years that you were not paying for water eh!!

    The normal procedure is to measure your water consumption for a set period(after your meter is fixed) and make the assumption that is the rate you use water.

    I have no idea how the water company will view you not informing them for 20 years, or what action they will take.
  • deanos
    deanos Posts: 11,219
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    Cardew wrote: »
    As every account is managed by computers, with little human intervention, it is no surprise that it isn't picked up.
    .


    Every time its read it has human intervention and depending on what they put down that triggers what happens next
  • pica_2
    pica_2 Posts: 2 Newbie
    Thank you both for your quick responses.

    I am going to have to do the right thing and contact my supplier and inform them of the problem.

    As its BH Monday, might just go through all my other bills and scrutinise them as well - this could end up being a very costly weekend!! Anyone want to buy a Kidney..??!!
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