moved house - just found out we have a water meter!

worto03

Hi, we moved house this weekend and were told by the seller on the TA10 or Ta6 form or whatever it was that there was no meter installed.

Now that we have exchanged, completed and moved in we have found a water meter in the kitchen :eek:

It was an old lady that lived here before but she has passed away, do we have any chance of getting the meter removed?

The estimates on the seven trent web site look like double what we were expecting to pay as we are a young family of four

thanks,
worto.

PasturesNew

You can't get it switched back - you'll have to stop squandering water and learn to pay your fair share now.

Maybe just top the pool up twice a year.

Cardew

It is possible that although a meter was installed, the previous occupant wasn't paying charges based on metered consumption. That is because it is possible for an occupant to have a meter fitted and revert back to charges based on Rateable Value within 12 months; however subsequent occupants will pay charges based on metered consumption - as indeed everyone should!!


You might have some case against the old owner's solicitor if they provided incorrect information - speak to your solicitor.

worto03

Thanks for the reply Cardew, that's what I thought, I don't want to go down the solicitor route though.

It wouldn't have stopped us buying the house anyway and I think that the seller may not have known about the meter as it was her mothers house and she had never lived here herself.

Just something we need to get used to I guess.

Cheers,
worto.

flea72

Whether she had a meter or not has no bearing on you. All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant. So no matter where you moved, if the property wasnt on a meter, one would be installed as soon as you notified the water company you had moved in

aeb_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

You can't get it switched back - you'll have to stop squandering water and learn to pay your fair share now.

Maybe just top the pool up twice a year.

So true!
Here there's me + 6 children under 10 and with the water meter I pay less than without a meter at my last house which was based on the rates and had two adults and three children. I just use water sensibly and am very MSE.

I don't have a choice about water meter as I have an indoor pool but don't use it for safety reasons as I can't watch 6 children. I have no idea how much it will cost to run if I ever do in the future. The younger ones think I have a very big greenhouse, I'm not sure they even know there is a pool under the floor.

worto03

flea72 wrote: »

Whether she had a meter or not has no bearing on you. All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant. So no matter where you moved, if the property wasnt on a meter, one would be installed as soon as you notified the water company you had moved in

really - I had no idea, it's been 7 or 8 years since we moved last though so maybe they didn't do that back then.

sulphate

flea72 wrote: »

Whether she had a meter or not has no bearing on you. All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant. So no matter where you moved, if the property wasnt on a meter, one would be installed as soon as you notified the water company you had moved in

Not true, when we moved into our house last year Anglian Water didn't put a new meter in automatically.

Cardew

flea72 wrote: »

All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant.

Not so!


For the last 20+ years The Water Act certainly has allowed companies to fit meters on change of occupant - regardless of the new occupant's wishes.


However it isn't(unfortunately) a mandatory requirement and many companies simply do not enforce that provision.

giraffe69

All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant.

I bet you can't provide evidence for this. I moved last year and there was no meter in the new property. The company did not suggest one had to be installed. Not all companies are the same although they do have the right to insist, I believe.

ic

giraffe69 wrote: »

I bet you can't provide evidence for this. I moved last year and there was no meter in the new property. The company did not suggest one had to be installed. Not all companies are the same although they do have the right to insist, I believe.

+1

I'm one of those people that got one installed when I was single thinking I'd save a fortune. It wasn't the case, I was paying the same as I was on rateable value - and that was before using a hose pipe! I switched back, which I'm glad of as I'm no longer single. Of course the meter is there lurking for the next resident whenever we decide to move on...

My recommendation is that if you are single and live in a smallish house, don't bother with a meter. My grandparents on the other hand live in a five bed house, and saved a fortune on their rates.