Thames Water says no water meter but there is one

illusionek

Hello

I have just spoken with Thames Water about moving house. I gave them water meter reading from the old property, so far so good. However when I gave them new address they told me there is no water meter.

I am confused as I found something in the property that looks like a water meter to me. If I am honest I have never seen one like this before but the lady on the phone was not really interested in discussing it further. She just setup new account with comment there is no water meter.

What Ive got at home is Sensus M160102 and it is installed next to water stopcock. Also in the same cupboard but not attached to Sensus is small white plastic box with Thames Water label saying "Please do not remove this is part of your meter".

Any advise please?

Aylesbury_Duck

Water all your garden copiously, wash the car, fill all your water butts and have deep baths and long showers. Before you sort it out.

You have what sounds like a meter, so perhaps send them photos? Could it be a privately installed meter someone added to monitor their own usage to see if it was worthwhile moving from rates to metered bills?

wealdroam

illusionek wrote: »

Hello

I have just spoken with Thames Water about moving house. I gave them water meter reading from the old property, so far so good. However when I gave them new address they told me there is no water meter.

I am confused as I found something in the property that looks like a water meter to me. If I am honest I have never seen one like this before but the lady on the phone was not really interested in discussing it further. She just setup new account with comment there is no water meter.

What Ive got at home is Sensus M160102 and it is installed next to water stopcock. Also in the same cupboard but not attached to Sensus is small white plastic box with Thames Water label saying "Please do not remove this is part of your meter".

Any advise please?

Why not ask them to install a meter and see what happens?

EmmyLou30

Sounds like a meter with an outreader (the part saying not to remove it). This is so a guy in a van outside can 'dial in' as it were and talk to the water meter in order to read it without the owner needing to let him in. Serial numbers normally start with the year of manufacture so in this case 2016 so maybe the previous owner only just had it fitted recently and it's not on their system yet? Pretty poor if that's the case.

illusionek

Many thanks for all feedback so far.

I strongly believe it was installed by Thames Water rather than previous owner due to their labels on plastic box (outreader?), have just checked search results I got from solicitor and they also confirmed no water meter. I find it very strange.

It looks like a mess that will take a while to clarify. Is it actually my responsability to prove them wrong or can I just pay water rate and ignore the meter?

I suspect they will need to come and inspect it and I dont really fancy taking time off work so they can sort out their own mess. I doubt they would do weekend visit.

EssexExile

If you have a water meter installed then find it is costing too much you can go back to the old billing method but they leave the meter in place. Perhaps this is what happened with the previous owner, although when the property changes hands they usually insist the new owner uses the meter.

In practice do you want a meter? If so do as Wealdroam says & ask them to fit one, if not just carry on paying the water rates. There is no mess to sort out.

illusionek

I was not aware I have a choice and go either with meter or rates. Was under impression you need to use a meter if there is one. I dont see benefits of using a meter as rate quoted is v similar to what I was payin in previous flat on a meter.

As I said my initial worry was that it is my obligation to clarify with them that there is a meter at the property.

macman

As a new occupier TW can enforce metered billing on you anyway. They are currently carrying out a rolling smart meter install programme across their region, and it is not optional, although it won't be enforced for two years after installation.

childofbaahl

I had something very similar with Southern water. My parents had asked for a meter to be installed but were told there wasn't enough space outside and they didn't want it inside, when I took over the house 4 years later I called Southern water to come back and re-measure. I wasn't too fussed about it's placement but knew it would be cheaper.


The engineer turned up to find an old meter was already installed outside and working, yet Southern water had never told my parents about this and they had been paying their unmetered charge regardless. They originally said that the house never had a meter and we must have installed it illegally! Only to find old records that say it had been installed the year after my parents had requested it as part of their major roll-out across the county. I confirmed with my folks after the meter was found and neither of them had heard anything from Southern water and as SW couldn't provide records of any communication with them, needless to say they got a hefty refund and I got a smaller one too for never being given the option of using a meter...


Moral of the story, believe what your senses tell you, not what the enemies computers say!

Le_Kirk

As you haven't moved in yet, have you actually purchased the property? Are you in touch with the present occupants/vendor? If so, can you ask them for a sight of the last few water bills? If buying, you should get these anyway as part of conveyancing process. Ask you solicitor/conveyance.

EmmyLou30

People don't install their own meters generally, why would you bother other than a landlord sub dividing a property illegally who wanted to charge his tenants seperately for their water maybe. Most likely a mess up on their computer system that means they have no record of it being there. If they have no record and the rates seem about right for what you previously paid on a meter I'd leave it be as you'll be no worse off.
People have meters fitted and then can revert to un metered charges if they find it's not cheaper but the meter gets left in situ in case another occupier wants one. It'd have to be a very thick previous owner not to remember they had it fitted - unless they stated 'unmetered' as they were no longer being billed by it and therefore thought that was the most accurate response for the legal forms.