Water Bill - Legal Issue?

Strebor123

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I use hardly any water so were quite surprised when we got a bill saying we'd managed to use 30 Cubic metres of water in 3 months. We're hardly in and both shower at the gym instead of home, so our water use comes from the washing machine and washing the dishes...that's it.

My letting agency owns the office above our flat and I've just found out they also use our water. They pay for half the water bill, but nowhere in my tenancy agreement does it say that they're paying half because they use our water too.

Because they're paying half is it implied that they get to use our water? The woman I spoke to made me out to be an idiot "Why do you think we pay for half"

But I just thought that a lot of places pay water rates (or bills etc) and so paying for half just seemed like a less generous version of that. The amount they're using far outweighs the amount we're using (they used 2/5 of a unit in one day) Meaning they easily make up the majority of our water bill.

I'm thinking of taking legal action for them to reimburse me for the previous water bill I've paid and to make a bigger contribution in the future. Would I be right to do so?

Guest101

Wow, a new one on me?! Who's the LL? I'm guessing the agency.

Who name is on the contract for the water? The agency?

jjlandlord

What's written in your tenancy agreement regarding water?

Strebor123

Yeah the landlord is listed as the agency.

I don't have access to the tenancy right this moment, but in effect is says "Blah Agency will pay 50% of the water rates"

In effect, that's it. The woman even brought it up in the computer whilst I was up there because she didn't believe me, which lead to her response of "Well, why do you think we pay half?"

The name on the contract for the water is my name.

fishpond

Do offices use a lot of water?
Sounds more like a leak to me, or a dodgy meter, but hey ho.

Strebor123

If you consider they have about 7 people in there (as well as visiting contractors etc.) They have a kitchen up there and a toilet. That toilet is flushed say every 30 mins on average, using 12 litres of water depending on cistern size. It adds up. I'm pretty sure it's not a leak and regardless, that still doesn't detract from the issue that I'm paying for their water when it's not in my contract.

Hoploz

Have you only recently moved in? I am just wondering whether the meter readings were accurate, both at the start of the tenancy and now. Have you checked your own records against the readings on the bill?

silvercar

Because they're paying half is it implied that they get to use our water? The woman I spoke to made me out to be an idiot "Why do you think we pay for half"

I have some sympathy with this, sorry.

I suspect the agreement was put in place when water bills weren't metered. Someone then came along, you or a predecessor, and decided to have a meter fitted causing an issue on billing vs usage.

Strebor123

We moved in at the very start of September. The meter readings given on the inventory report were accurate (I checked them myself) and I've also had somebody come round and do the meter readings on the 27th Jan (Which were also right)

We paid the first bill mid-october. It listed our use as about 11 units. We thought it was a tad high considering our water usage, but it's only since receiving our first 3 month bill that we definitely realised we weren't using that much water.

The issue isn't meter readings etc. It's that the office above uses the same meter as us, it's not in the tenancy agreement, it was never mentioned and I feel like they should be paying for their own water.

Strebor123

silvercar wrote: »

I have some sympathy with this, sorry.

I suspect the agreement was put in place when water bills weren't metered. Someone then came along, you or a predecessor, and decided to have a meter fitted causing an issue on billing vs usage.

I agree that may have been the case and I was respectful and professional when I questioned the agency about it, that doesn't change the fact that it isn't like that now and I think the onus should be on them to sort it out and compensate me.

Hoploz

I wonder whether you could discuss it with them in a reasonable way and try and make them see they are no contributing sufficiently. It shouldn't make any difference to them really, as it will either come out of letting agency running costs or profits from the rent, so nobody is personally responsible (on the other side I mean). Maybe if you showed them evidence that you regularly used a very small amount at your previous address they might take your point about the unevenness of the usage?