Thames Water denying my meter exists

princeofpounds

I moved out of a rented property recently served by Thames Water.

They had been charging me on a rateable basis, but on checkout, the inspector informed me that I had a water meter and that she had the entry reading and was just about to take an exit reading.

I had no idea that the water meter existed, and looking at it Thames water were able to charge me far more on a rateable basis than I ever used.

On trying to close the account, I challenged this. I have the meter registration number, and an entrance and an exit reading taken by a third party (the independent inventory clerk).

They are refusing to look at altering the bill.

They are now making numerous excuses over the phone, including:

- this meter is not for your property (it certainly appears to be)

- this meter was put in but then it turned out not to be for your whole property and so never applied (the property has no other water source I am aware of).

- you never told us about it so it can't apply.

- you will have to speak to our metering department (now on hold for 20 mins with no-one picking up).

Anyone got any idea how to deal with this?

Cardew

It could be that someone had a meter fitted and then decided to revert back to charging on the Rateable Value(they have 12 months to do so)

Or some properties have had a meter fitted by the Water Company but it is not in use.

By 'inspector' I assume you mean from the letting agent - not the water company.

I cannot see that the water company will agree to you be charged on a metered basis without them being informed beforehand.

Gothicfairy

They have no reason to go back and change the method of billing, just the same as you would not like it if they did that to you.

princeofpounds

They have no reason to go back and change the method of billing, just the same as you would not like it if they did that to you.

That presumes that the options for billing were fairly presented and selected by me as a consumer.

But I take your point to an extent - perhaps I should have been aware enough to force my choice at the beginning - but what I am upset about is that a) I wasn't offered a choice - the payment plan was just demanded from me in a letter sent even before I entered and b) the subsequent lies.

With a rented property I wouldn't have the option to install a meter, but if I knew one existed then I would have loved to use it. It's not like the meter was on the property. It was down a manhole on a public street which I never would have known I had the right to enter.

So I feel like it was purposefully hidden from me, both before I found it and, as a result of the lies, afterwards.

The fact that I am moving out is somewhat incidental... Even if I were happy to let past charges lie, if I had found out whilst in occupation they would have been deliberately misleading me about my future options based on what they told me.

Furthermore, the initial meter reading was sent by the checking agent to the water company at the time it turns out, but they chose to 'ignore' it when drawing up a payment plan.

The check-out agent said it was very common around the area for Thames water to 'default' bill people on rates where they were higher than the charges that could be applied with the meter and that normally she advises people on the way in to be aware and fight for the meter if they want it. I was unlucky in that I got the advice at the end, not the beginning.

Cardew

Firstly, as a tenant you have every right to get a meter fitted - unless the landlord is paying your water bill.

Whenever metered charges start, the water company will check the meter reading themselves; your letting agent has no status to read the meter, unless the previous tenant was on metered charges and the reading was the closing reading for their account and the opening reading for your account.

How did the checking agent send the 'initial meter reading' to the water company - if it was in writing and they provide you with a copy, then you may have a case.

The Consumer Council for Water should be your next port of call if such a letter, with the correct information, exists; and Thames Water stick to their guns.

Gothicfairy

princeofpounds wrote: »

That presumes that the options for billing were fairly presented and selected by me as a consumer. You could have applied for a meter at any time

But I take your point to an extent - perhaps I should have been aware enough to force my choice at the beginning - but what I am upset about is that a) I wasn't offered a choice - the payment plan was just demanded from me in a letter sent even before I entered and b) the subsequent lies.

With a rented property I wouldn't have the option to install a meter, but if I knew one existed then I would have loved to use it. It's not like the meter was on the property. It was down a manhole on a public street which I never would have known I had the right to enter. A rented property does not mean you can not have a meter at all

So I feel like it was purposefully hidden from me, both before I found it and, as a result of the lies, afterwards. by who ? Who hid it from you ?

The fact that I am moving out is somewhat incidental... Even if I were happy to let past charges lie, if I had found out whilst in occupation they would have been deliberately misleading me about my future options based on what they told me.

Furthermore, the initial meter reading was sent by the checking agent to the water company at the time it turns out, but they chose to 'ignore' it when drawing up a payment plan.

The check-out agent said it was very common around the area for Thames water to 'default' bill people on rates where they were higher than the charges that could be applied with the meter and that normally she advises people on the way in to be aware and fight for the meter if they want it. I was unlucky in that I got the advice at the end, not the beginning.

The last bit is clear rubbish spouted by an estate agent, it claims that the water company pick each account and how they are billed based on price when in truth most domestic accounts never see a human hand unless a customer calls or writes, it is all done by computer and as the profit is set for 5 years they have nothing to gain by charging you on the RV of the property or through the meter.
There are loads of properties that have meters installed (some are even just check meters ) and they are not billed, how are the water company to know you wanted to be charged through the meter when maybe the person who had it installed reverted back to RV years before you moved in.

Cardew

Gothicfairy wrote: »

it claims that the water company pick each account and how they are billed based on price when in truth most domestic accounts never see a human hand unless a customer calls or writes, it is all done by computer and as the profit is set for 5 years they have nothing to gain by charging you on the RV of the property or through the meter.

I think that is the most important point that many people don't seem to grasp.

The days are long gone when a clerk manually examines each of the millions of accounts; everything is handled by computer and unless there is a discrepancy marked up by the computer or a request from a customer that merits human intervention, the bills just get churned out.

If the previous occupant was billed on the RV, why would the computer 'think' there would be any need to change the charging method?

deanos

If the previous customer was on RV and there is a meter fitted the next customer who moves in would automatically go onto a meter, thats how it works round here.

Gothicfairy

deanos wrote: »

If the previous customer was on RV and there is a meter fitted the next customer who moves in would automatically go onto a meter, thats how it works round here.

Severn Trent just carry on billing how the last person was billed. The change only happens if someone requests a meter.