Compulsory water meter query

vjacx

Hi, can anyone help me out with a query? I've recently moved house and contacted the new utility companies to let them know etc. South staffs water informed me that they will send someone out to assess whether they can fit a meter - I have since researched and read up on this, and it seems this is their right.

I asked the advisor whether I needed to be here, ie did they need to come onto my property, he advised not, and that they would just be looking at the pavement.

My question is in 2 parts!
1. There is no pavement on our side of the street, it's a grass verge and a gap for our drive. Can they still fit a meter on the street, and where? In the road? Other side of street?

2. If they can't, can they compulsorarily put one within my property boundaries if I don't want them to? Eg, on the drive/house/inside? Can I refuse or do they have the power to just do it anyway?!

As you can probably gather, I really don't want one, just fact finding to see if there is any likelihood of not getting a meter or if the company will be going 'all out' to put one somewhere?!

Thanks

Cardew

My understanding is they will attempt to fit one in your house, if it can't be fitted outside.


If you refuse they can apply a 'high charge' to give you the incentive to allow one.


At the end of the day the water company have terms and conditions which a customer must accept - it is not mandatory for you to have water supplied!


Taking an extreme example, if you had a large swimming pool and a lake, would you feel entitled to refuse a water meter?

mart.vader

vjacx wrote: »

Hi, can anyone help me out with a query? I've recently moved house and contacted the new utility companies to let them know etc. South staffs water informed me that they will send someone out to assess whether they can fit a meter - I have since researched and read up on this, and it seems this is their right.

I asked the advisor whether I needed to be here, ie did they need to come onto my property, he advised not, and that they would just be looking at the pavement.

My question is in 2 parts!
1. There is no pavement on our side of the street, it's a grass verge and a gap for our drive. Can they still fit a meter on the street, and where? In the road? Other side of street?

Thanks

There's no reason why they couldn't fit it in the grass verge, apart from the likelihood of it being overgrown. Why don't you want a meter ? Most people with normal usage find that they save money, (unless they have ten kids and bathe them every day)

vjacx

Well, it's not the end of the world if we have one, had one in previous house, but found it very expensive compared to house before that without one, even just as a family of 4 with no real garden to water, usual usage in the house.

I was kind of looking forward to being less conscious of how many baths we run in a week!!!

If it has to be, then it has to be. I thought the grass verge might put a spanner in the works but never mind :-/

I'll wait and see though, and hope it doesn't take too long either way, apparently I can't make any payment/direct debit arrangements until they decide or fit the meter...

cajef

They can fit in the grass verge, that is where ours is.

matelodave

They usually put where the main external stop !!!! is located as that's the easiest place. Ours is on our property inside the fence because the previous owners installed the fence with the stopcock inside.


I'm in favour of a having a water meter. based on RV our bill would be about £600 a year, based on metered consumption it's less than £300.