Water meter requires outdoor tap to be capped

OurManInEngland

Hello,

I'm with Sutton & East Surrey Water and requested that a water meter be fitted (it's just me and my wife in a three bed semi so I thought it might be cheaper than the current circa £450pa). The guy came out but because the pipes are shared with the other semi he said that they'd have to fit the meter nearer the house. However, because I have an outdoor tap at the front gate they have said I would need to get that tap capped (as it sits effectively outside of where the meter would be).

However, although I don't use that outdoor tap much, I do use it when I clean the car, etc., and it's useful for the garden. If I don't want to get it capped (presumably at my expense) do I have any other options, such as the cheaper (?) "assessed" fee? They certainly haven't made me aware of any alternatives.

Many thanks.

Cardew

Assessed charging is only available when they cannot fit a meter.


It obviously makes sense(from their point of view) that they will not let you be charged on a meter and have an unmetered source supplying your property. Potentially that outdoor tap could consume a large amount of water. Gardens, neighbours gardens, car cleaning, patio cleaning - even setting up a system for flushing toilets.


Is it possible that they would fit a separate meter for that tap and aggregate the meter readings?

matelodave

It wouldn't be everso hard to have the tap capped - turn off the water main, unscrew the tap and screw in a blanking plug in it's place - cost £2 at the most.


Even if they insisted in a more permanent solution, like removing the tap connector, a compression cap would be just as easy.

Cardew

matelodave wrote: »

It wouldn't be everso hard to have the tap capped - turn off the water main, unscrew the tap and screw in a blanking plug in it's place - cost £2 at the most.


Even if they insisted in a more permanent solution, like removing the tap connector, a compression cap would be just as easy.

I would have thought that the water company would have needed a more permanent solution with a seal on the capped pipe.


Otherwise it would be too easy for the customer to revert to the previous set up??

OurManInEngland

Cardew wrote: »

I would have thought that the water company would have needed a more permanent solution with a seal on the capped pipe.


Otherwise it would be too easy for the customer to revert to the previous set up??

Yes, that's what I thought, but perhaps I should do it that way and see if that's sufficient.

Thanks everyone.

lemontart

my house has a odd water set up and I ended up with two water meters - one of which is solely for the outside tap

Cardew

lemontart wrote: »

my house has a odd water set up and I ended up with two water meters - one of which is solely for the outside tap

Do they charge you two sets of standing charges?


or just add the two amounts of water consumption together?

red_flump

I switched to metering (Anglian Water) and one was fitted to the outside toilet which has it's own supply. One standing charge if I remember rightly, I've been on the SoLow "No standing charge" tariff for a while.
The "kitchen" supply had it's own meter because of the connection in the road was shared between 3 properties (terrace).

When I had the main supply replaced with a new connection I now have a meter in the pavement just outside my boundary, and the old kitchen supply was cut and capped under my back yard, so no chance of re using.

red