Water Woes (Desperate)

goldengirl33

Hi, I need help urgently. I moved into a house with a water meter and despite it being in the same area as my previous home, I am being charged almost three times as much. My annual bill in my previous home was £400 and now it's £390 a quarter. I haven't used a hose pipe, don't have a garden sprinkler, a pond or a pool and there are just three of us in the family. I have contacted the water board and they say I was misled when I telephoned them prior to moving home in order to enquire if my bill would be higher. I was told at the time that I wouldn't see a difference and also, as they have read my meter and there is no leak, I'm just a heavy water user and there is nothing they can do. They will not take out the meter, and as the house I purchased was a repossession, there is no way of me being able to contact the previous owner to see if they had this problem. My direct debit will now go up to over a £100 per month. I can't afford this on top of my mortgage and I'm at breaking point. So if anyone has any advice in relation to this, I would greatly appreciate this. I have contacted my MP regarding this matter, and despite him agreeing that my bill was far too high, the water board would not yield to his letter. I have also submitted medical evidence of the respective illnesses of myself and my son to the water board, however, they told me that despite me meeting their criteria to be billed on an unmetered basis, they would not allow this to be so as I am not claiming of income support and because my husband is in full-time employment. Thanks for reading and considering my plight.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

First thing to check is to ascertain if the initial meter reading when you moved in was correct as it could be that you are paying too much this quarter as you are paying for water you didn't use. i.e. they didn't take a reading when the last occupant left - not surprising if it was a re-possession.

That is possibly the reason.

You then want to check your consumption since the meter was read and see what it reads. With 3 people in the house an average consumption would be 0.5 units(cubic metres) a day.

The meter reader cannot tell if there is a leak or not by taking one reading. You need to check over a period when you are not using water.

Post some more details of your bill with meter readings/dates and and current meter readings.

whatatwit

Hi, were you previously on a water meter at your old property?

Could you advise us of your average daily usage and maybe we could suggest ways to cut down on water usage.

Also how many cubic metres were you billed for on your first bill?

greyteam1959

I would agree with Cardew I think you are probably paying off somebody elses debts
Stick at it..........

autismmum

my late father had a similar problem as i recall after two years of arguing they dug up the road and found a leak it was going through the meter but then leaking in the ground, it was the second time they checked, first time they said no leak, my mother recieve two thousand pounds in over payents but it didnt make up for the stress on my dad whilst he was dying.
get them to check again or ask for an independant company to check.

goldengirl33

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.

First thing to check is to ascertain if the initial meter reading when you moved in was correct as it could be that you are paying too much this quarter as you are paying for water you didn't use. i.e. they didn't take a reading when the last occupant left - not surprising if it was a re-possession.

That is possibly the reason.

You then want to check your consumption since the meter was read and see what it reads. With 3 people in the house an average consumption would be 0.5 units(cubic metres) a day.

The meter reader cannot tell if there is a leak or not by taking one reading. You need to check over a period when you are not using water.

Post some more details of your bill with meter readings/dates and and current meter readings.

Thanks for replying to me. I did take a reading when I moved in and it was the same as the water board states on the bill (265). However, the previous owner does owe the water board money as they have sent me a letter asking me for his address, which I am not able to give them since I had no contact with him. On my first bill and only bill so far, the reading was 390, which I checked and it was correct, so the volume of cubic metres is 125. This was for 127 days. My sewerage charge was 119 cubic metres. I have now had a letter from the director saying I use around 1 cubic metre per day.

I will take your advice and start taking a meter reading everyday.

whatatwit wrote: »

Hi, were you previously on a water meter at your old property?

Could you advise us of your average daily usage and maybe we could suggest ways to cut down on water usage.

Also how many cubic metres were you billed for on your first bill?

Thanks for replying to me. No, I wasn't on a water meter previously and never have been. My average usage is apparently 1 cubic meter a day. My husband showers in work and collects rain water to use for washing the car and water the plants. We all drink bottled mineral water. My son came home from Uni in August, so he has only been having a bath daily since then. He can't shower instead, as he has an open wound from surgery which requires (salt) baths.

On my first and only bill so far, it was 125 cubic meters for water and 119 cubic meters for sewerage. It was from the 29th of May until the 27th of September (the reading was taken on the 23rd of May, but I didn't actually move in until the 29th).

mervyn11 wrote: »

I would agree with Cardew I think you are probably paying off somebody elses debts
Stick at it..........

Thanks for replying to me and I'll bear that in mind. However, if it turns out that I am, how would I go about proving it?

autismmum wrote: »

my late father had a similar problem as i recall after two years of arguing they dug up the road and found a leak it was going through the meter but then leaking in the ground, it was the second time they checked, first time they said no leak, my mother recieve two thousand pounds in over payents but it didnt make up for the stress on my dad whilst he was dying.
get them to check again or ask for an independant company to check.

Thanks for replying to me. I'm sorry to hear about the stress your late father suffered. How would I get an independent company to check the meter as I don't know of any, nor how to go about this. The water board themselves have been quite rude and arrogant whenever I have contacted them.

deanos

goldengirl33 wrote:

. On my first bill and only bill so far, the reading was 390, which I checked and it was correct, so the volume of cubic metres is 125. This was for 127 days. My sewerage charge was 119 cubic metres.

That dosent sound right they should be both exactly the same.

goldengirl33 wrote:

. Thanks for replying to me. I'm sorry to hear about the stress your late father suffered. How would I get an independent company to check the meter as I don't know of any, nor how to go about this. .

Firstly check for a leak, turn off the internal stop tap then check the meter and see if it is still moving , if it is you have a leak

As for testing meters the water company can do this but if they find no fault they will probably charge you, water meters are very reliable in general, a external company would have no right to test the meter as its not there property and illegal to disconect it without the water co's permission.

whatatwit

A cube of water is quite a large amount, so unless your son is having several baths every day and your washing machine is in action all day, I would have thought that there is a leak somewhere.
The leak may not be between the meter and the stop tap though, if you have tested as Deanos above suggests, then also check the reading with the stop tap turned on, but with no appliances running, maybe after your son has had his bath first thing in the morning. You could fill the bath with water to use for toilet flushing etc, then take the reading and try not to use any water during the day. The leak could be under your floor.