Massive Water Bill

Greggiep

All,

I am wanting some help please, I bought a new house in July last year. I had builders on site from September and I am being told I gave a meter reading of 4. We moved in to the house on the 19th of December, there are 2 adults a toddler and one tiny baby.

Today I received a water bill showing my useage as 1750 units in the six months since I last paid my bill. This equates to a bill of roughly £2400. I don't appear to have any leaks and I can't believe I have used that much water.

Severn Trent are my water authority and they are coming to look at the meter, I was however told that if they don't think the water meter is faulty then I am liable to pay the bill. HELP! What can I do, can I appeal? Do I have to pay that bill if I don't agree with it?

This is worrying me greatly so your advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Gregg

kazwookie

Can you take daily reading of the water meter yourself? if so do so.

Is the meter correctly connected up, ie you are paying for next door's water, or the whole road's water as well?

Make sure Severn Trent come out, urgently.

Do you have any old bill from another property, where there were just the 2 adults + children to use as a comparison, you might have moved properties but unless you now have a swimming pool / fish pond, your water consumption will be similar.

Good luck

Cardew

That is 400 litres per hour! every hour of every day for 6 months!

Greggiep

Thanks for the replys - I am seriously worried, I have turned everything off and the meter isn't still moving. But I will cjeck this again. I was expecting a higher bill than I used to have as we have just got a dishwasher, but not this high! If I gave the wrong reading when I moved in to the house how do I remedy that?

nikkimaclean

Can you take a reading from the meter yourself?. If so check that you have actually been billed to the correct reading. Sometimes the meter is simply misread.

Gothicfairy

First: Check the read on the bill and the reading on the meter now, Is it the same ?

Second: is the meter serial number on the bill the same as the one you are looking at ?

Third: does anything you own use more water then it should ? Does your toilet over fill ? does your overflow pipe leak ?

Fourth: are you sure that was the starting reading ? What do you mean you are being told you gave it ? Do you mean they said it was customer given as that is not the same as you giving it, it could have been the builders supplied the reading



I would take a reading now and a reading in a weeks time (making sure that at least one cubic meter has been used ) and then phone STW, they can look at your ADC and see if the start read can be changed.

Greggiep

Right I have turned everything off over night and the meter hasn't moved. I have spoken to Severn Trent who are sending a meter reader out at some point to look at the meter. More and more I am concerned that I gave an incorect reading when moving in to the property. Severn Trent are saying that if they investigate and the meter is recording correctly then I am liable to pay the bill - Is that correct or can I contest against reasnoble usage??

deanos

The meter at your house could have been the building supply the builder used hence the high reading, you could have misread it when you moved in possibly.

Have a word with the builder if possible and asked if they used it as the building supply.

Gothicfairy

Greggiep wrote: »

Right I have turned everything off over night and the meter hasn't moved. I have spoken to Severn Trent who are sending a meter reader out at some point to look at the meter. More and more I am concerned that I gave an incorrect reading when moving in to the property. Severn Trent are saying that if they investigate and the meter is recording correctly then I am liable to pay the bill - Is that correct or can I contest against reasonable usage??

Of course you are liable, as you supplied the reading and did not ask STW to come and take a check reading so they are billing you to what you gave them. It is the responsibility of the customer to give a reading or to give 5 working days notice that a reading is required.
However you need to go back to the builder and find out what they say.