Water Meter attached to Common Supply Pipe

Rocksquirrel

Hi,

Just over a year ago I had a water meter fitted to my house (terraced). This was placed on the public footpath outside my house in the hope I would reduce my water bills.

Since my meter has been added, the bills I have been receiving have been huge (avg £50 a month, expectation £20). I live in the house by myself, work 8 -6 most days and travel out of the country about 20% of my time. According to my meter my average usage is circa 0.5 m^3 a day. According to UU the average for the stereotypical user like me is about 150 litres a day.

Initially I thought I had a leak but upon checking the meter discovered that it was not constantly turning suggesting that I had no leak. This has led me to the conclusion that more than one household is attached to my house as I have seen the meter begin to turn and then stop when I had nothing on in my house.

If the meter is on a common supply pipe I have several questions which I hope someone can enlighten me with the answers or point me in the right direction: -

- Can the meter be moved to inside my house?
- Can I get my own supply line installed
- Who is responsible for this (assuming that the common supply pipe runs under my house)

Any other advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

Could it simply be that you and the water company are reading the wrong meter?

What type of house do you have - semi etc. It is not unknown on old terraced house for a water supply to pass from one house to the next i.e the single 'branch' from the water mains to serve several houses.

Can you turn off your supply and see if it affects your neighbours?

It is certainly possible to have a meter in the house, however I doubt if the water company will pay.

If the water company won't investigate your problem, contact the Consumer Council for Water.

deanos

If the meter is on a common supply they will relocate it to an internal or in your back yard free of charge as it was wrongly surveyed in the first place , if this is not possible they will put you on an assessed charge or if you don't agree to that back on RV

As Cardew mentions turn off the supply then knock on your neighbours to see if it has also shut off there supply , if it does then ring up the water co and explain and they will put it right, they will send someone out to investigate.

Rocksquirrel

Cardew/Deanos,

Thanks for the advice.

Much appreciated!