Converting 2 flats to one house and water company said that I have to go on a meter?

homeworker

We live in a flat and have decided to buy the flat upstairs so that it well be one property but the water company have told us that we have to go to a meter? Surely you have a right and up until now we live downstatirs and have had no meter ! Is there anyway of objecting to this .

Headsabovewater

You have a choice you can pay two bills one at each property based on there RV's
Or you will have to have a meter fitted as the merging of the two properties has now alterd the property more than 10% therefore the RV is no longer valid.
It will probably be cheaper to have the meter.
Do you pay two council tax bills?
You have probably contacted the council to advise thew property have merged and they have altered the amount you have to pay.
This is the same for the water company except that RV does no longer exist so you have to have a meter fitted as its the only fair way of charging once the property has altered.

Cardew

Headsabovewater wrote: »

You have a choice you can pay two bills one at each property based on there RV's
.

Actually you don't have this choice at all with some companies.

The Water company is entitled to insist on a meter being fitted whenever there is a change of account holder. - even a tenant. The water Privatisation bill intended that eventually every property should be metered(as of course it should be!)

Some companies enforce this regulation(as many on MSE have testified) all the time. Other companies don't bother to enforce it and one water company employee posted that they enforce if the tenancy agreement is for 6 months or more.

This is the reason why some landlords keep the water bill in their name and get the tenant to re-imburse.

Also every water company has the right to put existing owners on a meter if the property has been improved or even modernised.(although it is very difficult for them to check up on this)

The point being that you could buy a derelict property with a nominal RV and turn it into a huge modernised house - and attempt to keep the same RV.

Similarly I know of farmhouses with very low RVs who have converted barns into wonderful properties - obviously they cannot keep the original RV.

The OP has 'extended' his property(as well as changed the name on the account on the upstairs flat) So will have to pay for 2 accounts(1 metered) if he keeps them as separate properties. Or be metered on his existing property if the deeds are changed to make it one property(and thus pay one council tax at a higher rate)