Can't find water meter?

becky37

Don't know if anyone has come across this before, we have been getting water bills based on us having a water meter.
We can't find the meter there is just an empty space where it should be.
Southern Water are going to send someone round to look for it, what happens if there is not one there?

Cardew

Presumably the water bills have estimated meter readings?

Or are you on an assessed charge? - this is for properties where a meter cannot be fitted. - not to be confused with a bill based on Rateable Value.

becky37

The bills we have rec'd are not estimated, and we have been told we are on a meter and that it should be outside are property, just wondered if anyone else had experienced this before.

Rikki

My meter is under a little round drain cover on the path outside the house by the road.

becky37

There is a cover which says water on it and nothing inside.

Cardew

becky37 wrote: »

There is a cover which says water on it and nothing inside.

Are you sure it is not buried under muck and mud - not unheard of!!

Magentasue

Ours is in the back garden. When we moved in, it was covered by grass that had grown around and almost over it.

workinmummy

I too am currently experiencing this. Have received new bill on estimated reading, they have put my bill up from £33 a month to £53.73 a month, based on estimated readings. I have been out to check the reading and where the meter should be (next doors is there) it seems to have been dug up and filled in with tarmac. I have rang United Utilites today and they too are sending some one out to show me where the meter is - within the next 4 weeks.

There are 2 adults and 1 child living in the house. I think this amount is extortionate, does anyone know what they say the average consumption is?
My bill states an estimate of 46 cubic meters from july to november

Thanks Claire

Jesthar

OK - dark secret time... I work for a major water company (not yours), albeit as an IT geek, not in billing. I do know a few things, though...

I also bought my first property last year, and have NO idea where the water meter is! I know it isn't in the property, as the entry point for the supply pipe is under my kitchen sink, so I suspect it's buried somewhere in the road - or under the gravel drive the previous owners so thoughtfully just dumped down with no lining or prep work... :rolleyes: *resolves yet again to try and find it*

I do know that it works, though, as my company (yup, I live in the supply area of my employers - and no, no staff discount, either... ) charged me an estimated 6 month bill which was so overestimated when the 12 month bill came (which was an actual reading) I didn't have to pay anything as I was still in credit! :rotfl:

A water bill contains two elements:

Standing charges: there are two of these fixed rates, one for water supply, and one for waste water (the polite term for sewage!). Sewerage usually incurs the higher of these two charges, as it costs more to process etc., and also has to cover things like road drainage. Everyone pays the same amount for these charges, as far as I am aware.

Metered charges: Again, there are two rates applied here - one for water volume, one for sewage volume - and in this case the fresh water is the higher of the two charges. Both these values are calculated from the water meter reading - it is assumed that what goes in must come out. This obviously isn't strictly true or accurate, but there isn't really any better way of doing things unfortunately, as you can't put a meter on sewerage the same way you do with piped water! So the more you use, the more you pay.

Workinmummy - in my opinion 46 cubic meters is a HUGE volume for just four months - I don't think I used that in a year! :eek: Unless everyone in your household is having at least one bath a day, or you used hosepipes in the garden a lot, or you have a fairly significant leak somewhere, that should really be a lot lower. You will probably find that these charges are based on the 'average use per head per household' data, but such figures obviously take into account people who use a lot of water (swimming pools, hottubs, sprinklers etc.) as well as the more frugal types. In fact, I'd say those estimated bill figures are pretty close to what I'd expect for such a calculation, so I hope you find your meter! Extra clarification to avoid this being misleading - 46 cubic meters IS an accurate estimated bill for three people over four months for your water company. However, for a variety of reasons, I would expect the useage figures of most 'average useage pattern families' to be lower than the official 'average useage' figures.

Hope that helps,

~Jes

Cardew

Jesthar wrote: »

Workinmummy - 46 cubic meters is a HUGE volume for just four months -

Jesthar,
I am sorry but I would have to disagree with you about 46 cubic metres being a huge consumption. In fact it is well below average!

There are masses of data available on the web from all the water companies to show that the average UK consumption is around 160 litres per person per day - so 58.4 cubic metres per person per year.

For 3 people that is approx 175 cubic metres per year. So for 4 months the average would be 58.4 cubic metres - and workinmummy has only received an estimate for 46 cubic metres.

Just a couple of other points.

They do not assume that "that what goes in must come out" i.e. all supplied water will return to the drain. They have to make an allowance of 10% for evaporation, watering garden etc. So you pay sewerage charges on 90% of the supplied water. Companies calculate this in different ways.

The normal method is to take the sewerage charge figure approved by ofwat and reduce it by 10%. e.g. ofwat approve a figure of 80p/cu mtr, so you pay 72p on all water. So for 100 cubic metres supplied water you pay £72.

or

They charge 80p on 90% of the water used so on 100 litres you pay for 90 @ 80p = £72

If you can make a case that less than 90% goes down your sewer you can get the sewerage charge reduced.

POSSETTE

rather a big bill there..we paid 33 a month for last year BUT we did have asmall mishap with leaving a tap on whilst at work one day.! it has just been reduced to 22 a month now..2 adults who use hosepipe/wash car/bath etc

our first meter was in fact under drain cover(small round one) in pavement approx 18" into it and got covered with mud as said above..i had to reach right down nearly a full arm length to wipe it clean to read it with a torch..:rolleyes: .this meter i have now..under sink! far more acceptable:T