Water Company - Records of meter Requests?

westv

Just a quick question regarding previous occupant requests for water meters.

I've just moved to a new address and there isn't currently a meter (built 60s). When I rang the water company they weren't able to tell me if a meter had already been requested (and turned down) by any previous occupant. Does that mean that nobody has asked for one at this address or that someone has but their records don't tell them? If the later, then surely they should know rather than having a survey done whenever someone new moves into the property.

Assuming I can't have a meter, I want to go on to a single person assessed charge as the the water rates for the new address are a complete rip off. Two bed flat at £600 a year compared to my old metered address - two bed house with garden - less than £200 a year.

Cardew

The Water Company cannot 'turn down' a request for a meter. They must at least survey and give the occupant the choice of an assessed charge or remain on Rateable Value charges.

Given the high(ish) RV for your flat, if any request was made then surely any occupant would have elected for the assessed charge. So I suspect, in answer to your question, no application has been made.

You don't say what area you live in, but my understanding is that not all water companies offer a single person assessed charge*(I know Thames do) Some companies base their assessment on the number of bedrooms.

* That certainly used to be the position - it may have changed recently>

westv

Well I am certainly surprised that nobody has asked for one previously but there you go.
I'm with Yorkshire Water and their assessed charge for a flat is about £280 a year. They do also do a single occupancy discount.

deanos

Just apply for a meter and a surveyor will come round, if it was on AMC before it automatically reverts back to RV when sold

It needs reinspecting things may have changed since the last visit and a meter nay be possible , not sure how other water co's work but around here the surveyors ask the customers a series of questions to determine which AMC charge to use

Gothicfairy

Someone might have asked in the past but it might be on the older system or not linked to that address IE they asked when they were living at an old property and the request was logged at that address.

Best bet is to just apply and go from there.

westv

I've applied for the meter so I'll now see what happens.

I am still curious how a RV of 207 can be justified for a 2 bed flat with garage. I have a friend who has a 2 bed end terraced house (no garage) about 14 miles away and I'm sure they said their RV was 67!
I know the RV can't be changed and I know I will be paying a lower cost for water once it's all sorted but I am still very much interested to know how such high RVs can be justified.

Cardew

westv wrote: »

I've applied for the meter so I'll now see what happens.

I am still curious how a RV of 207 can be justified for a 2 bed flat with garage. I have a friend who has a 2 bed end terraced house (no garage) about 14 miles away and I'm sure they said their RV was 67!
I know the RV can't be changed and I know I will be paying a lower cost for water once it's all sorted but I am still very much interested to know how such high RVs can be justified.

The RV was based on the notional rent a property could command, and that assessment could have been made as long ago as 1973.

It was nothing to do with the Value of the property.

A modernised(by 1973 standards) property with say Central Heating, nice kitchen, bathroom, garage and in a nice area would fetch a much higher rent than a bigger unmodernised property in a run down area.

I know of 6 bed mansions in several acres that have a peppercorn RV of £50 or so. This is because in 1973 they would have been totally unmodernised. Who would want to rent such a house with all the upkeep?

Now they are Band H and worth a lot of money, but because they haven't declared all the modernisation, and the Water Companies rarely check, they still retain that very low RV.