Huge Thames water bill due to leak - only since meter fitted

parkingadvice23

Both myself and a friend have been hit with huge thanks water bills since we were made to have a water meter fitted. Thames water are asking for bills upwards of £800 per quarter on both properties. Where do we stand with this? In each case they are long term residents at each property. At no point had there been an issue with leaks until the meters were fitted. What can we do to fight this? Can anyone help? Is there a specific action we should be taking?

Cardew

There often wouldn't be an 'issue with leaks' before a meter was fitted because most leaks go unnoticed.

You need to contact Thames Water and ask for their assistance to trace and fix the leaks. I suggest you don't take a confrontational attitude attitude as leaks after the meter are the occupant's responsibility; however many water companies will make a goodwill gesture and even write off bills.

If you get no satisfaction from Thames then you should go to the Consumer Council for Water and seek their help. https://www.ccwater.org.uk/aboutus/

daveyjp

As above the chances are the meter is now recording a leak.

Centre flush toilets are the most likely item in the house to leak without the owner being aware.  A local housing association monitored water use across its portfolio of thousands of properties and where the use appeared to be high they investigated an 25% had faulty toilet syphons.

penedawn

I'm sorry but the Water Board (London) have a lot to answer to. Before I had a meter put in my bills were £500pa and after it was put in it was also that cost for two years but lo and behold in April I got a £500 bill but it used to be sent half yearly and it did not say anything on this one. I managed to get hold of someone on facebook as despite that fact that they work online do not have to communicate with human beings on the whole if looking for leaks are not working. Someone called and I said was that supposed to be paid now for the year as I do not want to give you a year before I have used any of it.. They said it was a 6 months bill. I was astounded and asked how when there was only one person now in the house and now really having many baths as there is no one there to worry if I don't, not flushing the toilet for the same reason and washing up water on plants, not much washing at all as not going out so wear the same clothes. Before there had been over 5 people there and showers, toilets, cars, washing etc., but £500 and now £1000 are you joking? They said they could see a 'spike', that is the new buzz word it seems. He didn't say we have just doubled the charges as we can and we are all just at home doing nothing (he was online at home talking to me) they are not sending vans out so cannot check for leaks. Leaks? There are no leaks, you can see if there is one when you check your own meter in the pavement, it will be pouring out. Their mandate was to encourage us to have a meter as we will me made t as some point? They always say the less people there are in the house the less water you will need to pay for. Two months later I got another bill for £200. WHAT? I told them on facebook they were clearly a scam and not the waterboard and I would not be paying anything. They said they would loog into it. I have heard nothing. Are they working as everyone else seemed to do throught Covid and certainly now? Have you seen or heard from any of them? I haven't. Don't believe the 'leak' and 'spike' words. They do not exist.

Cardew

By 'Water Board(London)' I assume you mean Thames Water?

As you have had a meter for over 2 years, all you need to do is read your Water meter and you can check if the bill is correct.

It is possible that earlier bills were based on estimated meter readings - that were under-estimated - and now they are using actual readings.

Of course there can be leaks. As your meter is on the pavement it could be between the meter and the house; or even in the house. The normal culprit for an internal leak is a faulty cistern leaking silently back into the bowl.

Just check your exact meter reading, including the red figures, and check it again after a period when you have used no, or little water.

freesha

Small point, but there have not been 'water boards' for a very long time.

teddysmum

Our payments for the first year or six months were based on an estimate made by looking at type of usage, then adjusted, but the guess was fairly accurate. As we asked for a meter, our son was better of even though they have three children, we were told that w could revert to rates if we were not satisfied .