United Utililities leak Issue

billeted

Single person works full time with two jobs has a water meter and the charges have shot up since last meter reading. Reported excess useage to UU when bill arrived. They took 6 days to come out (while water consumption still rising)He switched the stop !!!! off for 15 mins then said there is no leak in underground pipes (based on 15 mins!)Suggested that water pressure rises at night so there may be some leaking taps that leak during night and not in the day!Told to check for leaks at night.Also suggested it may be the water cistern in the toilet which is a modern cistern where the overflow is back into the bowl of the Loo(making it impossible to notice leak).He suggested we stick a load of folded toilet paper at the back of the bowl after it had been flushed and check the water meter readings to see if it was going up. Suggested do this for a FORTNIGHT (consumption still potentially increasing)obviously allowing for natural ablutions. Am I missing something here ? Are these so called engineeers for real? Number 1. Increased water pressure at night may well show a leak underground so am supposed to check water meter in the dark at night!2.If water cistern is not the cause next step is calibration of water meter for which they will charge me £110.00. If the meter is calibrated correctly there will be no charge and assume new meter will be fitted.If it is correct I will then have to pay £110 and the solution to the problem still not found. Assuming it may be the cistern is it reasonable enough to assume a useage of 1000 litres a day which is what the current meter readings are showing? These people are a bloody nightmare , not helpful in the least.Why should they be? they are still making their profits while you still have the problem. It is an absolute scandal also that homeowners are responsible for the pipework outside the home but on their property.I believe this was changed when the water Companies were privatised.How was this allowed to happen? How can I be responsible for pipework laid in 60 nor 70 years ago 3 feet under the ground??

macman

Because it's on your property... anything downstream of the meter is down to you, why didn't you call out your own plumber rather than UU? It appears that their staff have little idea about domestic plumbing, as might be expected.
No different with your gas, electricity, and phone line-anything beyond the meter/master socket is the repsonsibility of the homeowner. not the supplier.
If there is a cistern valve leak then it should be quite clearly visible as water flowing through the bowl. Have you done a flow test by turning off the internal stopcock? if the meter continues to register a flow then you've got clearly got a leak between meter and stopcock.

mart.vader

Aah, where to start, where to start.

Please don't post a solid block of text, use paragraphs, otherwise it just irritates people and they don't bother to read it.

While you are not using any water, e.g. no-one is running taps, washing machine not going and no-one has just flushed a toilet - if the meter is moving, then there is a leak, and it is at some point after the meter. If meter is not moving, there is no leak. (at least no leak after the meter and thus increasing your bill).

If you suspect the cistern valve is leaking, then 1000 litres per day leak should be evident. If there is a valve by the cistern, turn it off and see if the meter stops moving, if it does, then you've found your leak.

Water pressure does rise, somewhat at night, but if a leak discharges water at night, the chances are it will also leak during the day.

If you tell them the meter is faulty, (I don't think they can be "calibrated" at all) then UU will remove it and if it's faulty they won't charge you anything, but if it's found to be OK, and you have made them check it for nothing, then they will charge you, whatever it is £110.

Are you in a flat, or a separate house? Where is the meter, - in your house or in the footpath? Where is the stop !!!! that he turned off?

See what I mean about paragraphs ?

deano4930

Take a reading from the meter before you go to sleep. Ensure that all your cisterns are full and do your usual routine before you take the reading.

When you wake up in the morn get your dressing gown on and check the reading again, if there has been movement on the meter then it would appear that there is a leak evident, most likely inside the property, as the NCI has already checked for leaks between the Internal Stop Tap and the meter by the sound of things

If there is a possibility that your meter could be serving elsewhere, IE your in a block of flats, several meters together, Then you can contact us and have a supply check arranged, then you can be sure that the meter is serving your property alone.

1m3 a day is not alot of water, a toilet cistern leaking could easily be causing this.

Have a read through this, it outlines leakage testing and an application form should you want to go ahead of it, but i would strongly advise you not too. With my time of UU and dealing with this daily, i have yet to see a meter to be found faulty (I.E Over-reading) If anything meters will under-read over the years, but if your sure and have £84 spare then i wont stop you!!

If you are in any doubt at all, call a private plumber to investigate.