Water Meter readings - not!

benjo

Has anyone had any previous experience of meters not actually being read when the company says they have?

Water company say they read my meter twice last year - I say they bl**dy well didnt.

I know they didnt since the meter was covered in layers of soil, sand and grass until December 2010 when I dug it out with a shovel (and it wasnt an easy job).

Since moving into the house in April 09 until December 2010 the meter has remained covered in soil and plant life, and possibly for years prior to that.

You cant see the meter cover unless you dig, you cant read the meter unless you remove the cover, you cant dig and remove the cover without leaving a trace that someone has been digging and there was no signs of the ground being disturbed until I dug it up myself.

I have asked the Water company for their views on my observations and await their reply but would love to hear anyone elses views.

Many thanks for reading this.

Gothicfairy

Are you sure there is not another meter ? Did they fit a radio reader ?

As part of the DG8 they have to read the meter so I would be suprised if it was never done unless there is a health and safty/ access issue but that tends to go along with a warrent of entry or DG8 "clear and leave clear" letters.

ab7167

Thames Water also claim to have read my meter, and I'm pretty sure they didn't. I've been paying £26 per month since we moved in, which they estimated based on no. of people etc, they then sent me a bill saying that they'd read the meter and we'd used £4 of water in 9 months.... We did the opening reading so I'm sure that one is correct, this bill just made me chuckle. I must go and read it myself and update them, just to check we are on the right lines DD wise!

benjo

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Are you sure there is not another meter ? Did they fit a radio reader ? No there isnt another meter - nor a radio meter.

As part of the DG8 they have to read the meter so I would be suprised if it was never done unless there is a health and safty/ access issue but that tends to go along with a warrent of entry or DG8 "clear and leave clear" letters.

No letters received regarding clearing/keeping things clear.

The truth is that during last year they would have had access issues, the very fact that they neither cleared the obstruction nor wrote and asked me to clear it suggests that they didnt try to read the meter during that period.

Gothicfairy an slight offtopic question but who is responsible for keeping the meter free from debris? The meter is sited on the road itself not on my property.

Gothicfairy

The meter if on public land is normally down to the water company to keep clear or to clear it..unless there is a council issue (access etc) but on private land it is down to the land owner.

However if the meter is on the road then it should be the local traffic depo ...........but they often pass it back to the water company

As you can see, it is all very easy.......not..lol


If they have not read the meter then they are breaking the DG8 rules and that does come with added problems and fines in the long run.
I would ask (by email ) what they have done in the last 18 months to comply with DG8 and can they clarify in WRITING that the last read is an actual.
Get that and then go to OFWAT as it is very serious (as it should be )

Gothicfairy

ab7167 wrote: »

Thames Water also claim to have read my meter, and I'm pretty sure they didn't. I've been paying £26 per month since we moved in, which they estimated based on no. of people etc, they then sent me a bill saying that they'd read the meter and we'd used £4 of water in 9 months.... We did the opening reading so I'm sure that one is correct, this bill just made me chuckle. I must go and read it myself and update them, just to check we are on the right lines DD wise!

It might be that you have overpaid and the balance is £4.00 ??

ab7167

Gothicfairy wrote: »

It might be that you have overpaid and the balance is £4.00 ??

No, am pretty sure that the readings were only a few units apart, and they said we were in credit by £200 odd....

Don't mind, but it's blatently obvious they haven't read the meter, not that there would be a problem with this, it is easily accessible in the pavement in front of the house. Wondering if they've read next doors by mistake, but again it's quite obvious to any sane person which one is which...

Think I'll just phone them with the correct reading and get an updated bill. We are careful with water, so am hoping it's not too far out. Made easier by having a bath that leaks through the kitchen ceiling, so ablutions are swift of neccesity...

deanos

Did you actually check the readings after you got the bills are they similar or way out ?

It could be a lazy meter reader, couldn't be bothered to get there shovel out, very serious offence they would probably get sacked

As for keeping it clear then it will only be cleared when its read, if its quite deep under the earth they should raise it up to ground level

Saying that the meter reader could have put the earth back to prevent it being a trip hazzard, and you can read meters even though they are full of earth you don't have to clear it all out of the chamber

benjo

deanos wrote: »

Did you actually check the readings after you got the bills are they similar or way out ?

No, I havent checked the readings, The only time I dug it out was to switch off the water due to a burst pipe. It was elbow deep in muddy water and I had to bail it out before I could even see the meter = lazy me! I promise to dig it out later today and check again - nasty job!

It could be a lazy meter reader, couldn't be bothered to get there shovel out, very serious offence they would probably get sacked

Thats my guess for two times out of the three they claim to have read it.

As for keeping it clear then it will only be cleared when its read, if its quite deep under the earth they should raise it up to ground level

The meter is flush with ground level actually in the road, no pavements outside our house. The problem is we live right next to a beach and sand/soil/plant life accumulates at the road edges, the council digs away the bulk of it yearly, water board clears the main drains only when they are completely blocked and someone complain.

Saying that the meter reader could have put the earth back to prevent it being a trip hazzard, and you can read meters even though they are full of earth you don't have to clear it all out of the chamber

Possible, but I think I would have noticed some disturbance in the pile of vegitation since I step over that spot every day (right outside my gate) - again lazy me, perhaps I should dig it out more frequently.

Yorkie1

I see references to it being the water board's obligation to read the meter. Is there a set frequency for that? I've been in my house for just over a year now, took / supplied the meter reading when I moved in but haven't either had an annual reading or been asked to provide one since then. (It's Yorkshire Water).

Thanks.

Edit: Just had a letter confirming they have read the meter - my water DD is almost halved and there's a cheque in the post. I like YW!!

Tedliplegress

I would also like to know, as in IHO distilled is rain water ?I have a PH meter, but I would like to know what their PHs should be an if they are different ?