water meter

tinycup

When I moved into my house the previous owner had installed a water meter because she was living here alone. We are a large family. I have used the water company's calculator and found that I am probably paying £500 more than an unmetered house per year. I have asked numerous times for it to be removed. Initially they said that every new home owner would automatically get a meter which would resolve the inequality of the situation. More recently they have said that I do not have "the right to revert" under Water Industry Act 1991. Does anyone have similar experience or helpful knowledge of this issue please?

GingerTim

See the Citizens Advice page on this at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/water-supply/paying-your-water-bill/changing-to-a-water-meter/

As you have moved into a house with a water meter already in situ, the water company is correct and there is no right to have it removed, I'm afraid.

The sooner everyone is on a meter and paying for what they use the better, in my view.

marcia_

tinycup said:

When I moved into my house the previous owner had installed a water meter because she was living here alone. We are a large family. I have used the water company's calculator and found that I am probably paying £500 more than an unmetered house per year. I have asked numerous times for it to be removed. Initially they said that every new home owner would automatically get a meter which would resolve the inequality of the situation. More recently they have said that I do not have "the right to revert" under Water Industry Act 1991. Does anyone have similar experience or helpful knowledge of this issue please?

 Why do you not want to pay for the water you use? 

matelodave

I'd guess that having a "large family" would mean you could use more water than a small family, in which case its not unreasonable for you to pay more than a small family or even a single person.

However that said, you do have the opportunity to monitor and control you water consumption and thus your costs. IMO everyone should have a meter and pay for what they use

freesha

No you have no recourse, and yes that is legally and morally fair.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

The whole principle of water metering, when introduced in April 1990, was that people would pay for the water they used whilst keeping the standing charges the same regardless of number of occupants. Existing occupants in April 1990 were given 'grandfather rights'  to retain Rateable Value based charges but the water companies could(and should) have installed a meter on change of occupant. That provision wasn't strictly enforced, but there are signs that this policy is changing. So it is probable that even if your house did not have a meter fitted, when you moved in, the water company would have compulsorily fitted a meter.

The previous occupant presumably used less gas/electricity as well!

[Deleted User]

@Cardew has explained things very well. 

Water is in short supply in many areas, and I believe that most people would deem a system based on paying for what you use to be very fair.

The Right to Revert was offered to consumers when water meters were first fitted. A consumer could change their mind within the first 12 months (or 24 months for SW Water). The Right to Revert has never been offered to new owners/occupants.

Edit:

A useful background document. Para 2.8 applies to the OP:

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7342/CBP-7342.pdf

tinycup

For clarity, my point is not that we shouldn't all pay for the water we use. I would be very happy if there were systems in place which made every person morally accountable for their consumption and impact. My issue is that water companies are not fairly applying this to all households so there seems not to be equality in bill paying. Is that correct? 

I'd really welcome support to understand the issue without judgement. I'm not going to justify my question or spell out the exhaustive ways in which I am accountable regarding environmental impact and consumption.

GingerTim

This government briefing explains the metering situation more clearly: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7342/

In short, until they are eventually made compulsory some people will end up paying more (or, indeed less by monitoring their usage) on a water meter than based on the property's rateable value. It's impossible to fit meters in some properties, usually flats.

[Deleted User]

tinycup said:

For clarity, my point is not that we shouldn't all pay for the water we use. I would be very happy if there were systems in place which made every person morally accountable for their consumption and impact. My issue is that water companies are not fairly applying this to all households so there seems not to be equality in bill paying. Is that correct? 

I'd really welcome support to understand the issue without judgement. I'm not going to justify my question or spell out the exhaustive ways in which I am accountable regarding environmental impact and consumption.

In some areas of high demand and shortage of supply, water meters are compulsory. In others, the water company still offers consumers a choice so, you are correct, there is no equality across the country because of the way that our water supplies were set up.

This inequality is reflected in bills. If you happen to live in the SouthWest, you would pay more for your water than if you live in Wales. Is that fair: should the people of Wales and Northumberland subsidise those living in the SouthWest? Sadly, in life, there are always ‘winners and losers’. I should add that it is the same for energy, I happen to live on the Welsh border and I pay the highest energy rates by DNO in the Country.

MattMattMattUK

tinycup said:

For clarity, my point is not that we shouldn't all pay for the water we use. I would be very happy if there were systems in place which made every person morally accountable for their consumption and impact. My issue is that water companies are not fairly applying this to all households so there seems not to be equality in bill paying. Is that correct? 

No, it is not correct, everyone with specific regions will be on meters going forward, as will all new occupants at the point of changeover. Not everyone is currently on a water meter, but more and more are and it is likely that within another decade 90-95% of households will be.

tinycup said:

I'd really welcome support to understand the issue without judgement. I'm not going to justify my question or spell out the exhaustive ways in which I am accountable regarding environmental impact and consumption.

You are being billed for your usage based on consumption, as are most other people these days, there are some properties where meters cannot be fitted but they are almost always low users anyway. Your opening post was you complaining that you had to pay for what you used and that there was no way easy out of that scenario and could people help you find a loophole.