moving home,enforced meter query

Cardew

coletteflaherty wrote:

I moved into my house about 4 months ago and received the same letter saying I had to have a water meter fitted. Didn't particularly bother me as there are only two of us.

The company came round (when I was out, how dare I go off to work during the day) and it turns out that they can't install a water meter unless we are in the property as they need "access." Not sure why as it is a bog standard house with a front drive where they could do any digging up that they needed!

Rang the water meter company who said they would get onto it, they never got back to me, and when I eventually got back to them, they said they had closed my case and I couldn't be FORCED to have a meter as the meter company couldn't FORCE their way onto my property.

So now I'm not bothering. Although I haven't been paying for water since I moved in, I've now received a lovely bill for the whole year! Lucky me!

The probable reason they have not insisted on a meter is that with only 2 people in the house you are probably paying a lot more by being assessed according to your Rateable Value.

lapat

dmg24 wrote:

Companies can compulsorily meter properties where there is a change of occupier.

Sorry!

no they cant.they can only impose them on you for drought precautions and then they have to legal proceedings to gain the order

JonathanA

Telboy

If it is any help, our position is not dissimilar to yours. We moved to a 1930's house earlier this year. We have two young children (5 & 2). The house wasn't metered but our last property was. Can't remember the rateable value, but I know our water charges for the year were going to be somewhere between £600 and £650 - significantly more than we paid at our old house.

We spoke to Severn Trent who supply our area and they worked out an estimate of our water consumption based on what we told them. I requested a meter to be fitted and we now pay £25 per month on direct debit (£300 / year) which is where they & I suspect our bill will be.

We aren't particularly careful with water - we don't waste it either I hasten to add! - both of us use our power shower daily, the kids have baths, the washing machine is on about 5 times each week - sometimes more, the dishwasher is on daily and we drink tap, not bottled water.

You may be pleasantly surprised in that your bill may be lower. Having said that, we're not keen gardeners, so don't use much watering our garden, and I can't remember the last time I washed a car at home.

Ask them to work out an estimate of what your charges will be on a meter based on your usage pattern & see if it is any cheaper for you.

Jonathan

silvercar

lapat wrote:

no they cant.they can only impose them on you for drought precautions and then they have to legal proceedings to gain the order

A meter can be imposed on change of ownership if you live in a compulsary metering area.

smartie1976

I love my water meter.

My bill last year was £97.32.
Rateable value: around £190!