reconciling metered water used and supplied

weklewe

A block of flats has a meter on each flat.
These meters are owned, and should be maintained, by the block. 
The total water measured by these meters is LESS than that supplied by the water company.
The block management wants to recover the difference ,which is not unreasonable.
However,the meters are owned by the block - they are clearly not working,why should the tenants pay for the short fall?
If it is felt that the tenants should pay what is the fairest way of assessing each tenants contribution?
I have VERY strong views on this but I would really like to  hear about others who have been in this position and there are surely loads of you.

QrizB

It's more likely that there's a leak (or an unmetered outlet) somewhere between the block meter and the indivicual ones.

Have the management investigated this, and found the leak / outlet (or disproved its existence)?

[Deleted User]

From the UK Government website:

‘Your meter must give a reading that is accurate to within 5% of the real amount of water that it's measuring. For example, if you're measuring 1,000 litres of water, you're allowed readings between 950 litres and 1,050 litres.’

It is perfectly possible that with additional metering that there could be a difference: that said, in different circumstances it could just as easily be in the management’s favour. My initial reaction is that I should only pay on the basis of what my certified meter records.

MattMattMattUK

weklewe said:

A block of flats has a meter on each flat.
These meters are owned, and should be maintained, by the block. 
The total water measured by these meters is LESS than that supplied by the water company.
The block management wants to recover the difference ,which is not unreasonable.
However,the meters are owned by the block - they are clearly not working,why should the tenants pay for the short fall?
If it is felt that the tenants should pay what is the fairest way of assessing each tenants contribution?
I have VERY strong views on this but I would really like to  hear about others who have been in this position and there are surely loads of you.

I would say probably a case of dividing the cost by the total number of dwellings., as others have said it could be down to meter variance, it could be a leak, it could be amounts used for cleaning and/or grounds, it could be a level of wastage in the pressure booster system if there is one etc. 

Do your "VERY strong views" perhaps reflect that you think other people, rather than you, should pay this cost?

jimjames

MattMattMattUK said:

weklewe said:

A block of flats has a meter on each flat.
These meters are owned, and should be maintained, by the block. 
The total water measured by these meters is LESS than that supplied by the water company.
The block management wants to recover the difference ,which is not unreasonable.
However,the meters are owned by the block - they are clearly not working,why should the tenants pay for the short fall?
If it is felt that the tenants should pay what is the fairest way of assessing each tenants contribution?
I have VERY strong views on this but I would really like to  hear about others who have been in this position and there are surely loads of you.

I would say probably a case of dividing the cost by the total number of dwellings., as others have said it could be down to meter variance, it could be a leak, it could be amounts used for cleaning and/or grounds, it could be a level of wastage in the pressure booster system if there is one etc. 

Do your "VERY strong views" perhaps reflect that you think other people, rather than you, should pay this cost?

Or you could say that the cost should be divided in proportion to the use. If I only use a litre of water I'd be miffed at paying for another 100 litres that is above the cost of my actual bill.

Cardew

weklewe said:

A block of flats has a meter on each flat.
These meters are owned, and should be maintained, by the block. 
The total water measured by these meters is LESS than that supplied by the water company.
The block management wants to recover the difference ,which is not unreasonable.
However,the meters are owned by the block - they are clearly not working,why should the tenants pay for the short fall?
If it is felt that the tenants should pay what is the fairest way of assessing each tenants contribution?
I have VERY strong views on this but I would really like to  hear about others who have been in this position and there are surely loads of you.

As stated above, it could be leaks etc and not the meters.

However it could be just one or two meters under-reading. Not unknown for a meter to be bypassed!!

It is not stated over what period the shortfall has occurred. If there has been a change of tenant(s) in that period it further complicates matters.

I can't see any other option but a flat rate; but you need to determine the shortfall.