Thames Water Recent Meter Reading Says My Usage Has Increased from 177 to 915 litres per Day

Noor711

I am in London.  I'm a tenant, single person household in a 1 bedroom flat.  I have a dishwasher, washer/dryer and bath/shower.  No garden.  My flat has a water meter located on the pavement in front of my building where there are 9 other flats, all metered.  It is covered and I cannot open the cover to access my meter to read it.

I moved into my flat in March 2021.  An initial meter reading was estimated as 99m3.  An actual meter reading was taken by Thames Water in June 2021 of 126m3.  An estimated average daily usage was calculated as 177 litres per day.  This amounted to direct debit payments of between £19 and £22 per month ever since.  I am billed every six months.  Since June 2021, all my bills have been based on estimated readings based on estimated usage from my last actual reading.  The next actual reading was only just recently taken by Thames Water this month of 1020m3.  This amounts to a total usage of 894m3 in 2 years and 8 months (977 days).  This now calculates my average daily usage as 915 litres per day.  How is that possible?  I live alone.  I shower, don't bath.  I use the dishwasher maybe 5 times a week, and the washer/dryer maybe twice a week.  I am home based so maybe flush the toilet perhaps 4 times per day.  This is about the same pattern of water usage I had in June 2021 when the actual reading was taken where my daily usage was calculated as 177 litres per day.  So how can my daily water usage have been calculated to have increased so astronomically?  I don't live any differently.

I have raised the issue with Thames Water and they are going to send an engineer out to inspect the meter and check for external leaks.  I have also notified my landlord to send out a plumber to investigate if there are any internal hidden leaks.

I saw on my online account that Thames Water had scheduled my future direct debit payments to increase from £21 per month to £266 per month.  I went from being in credit with £145 to now owing over £2,000!  I have spoken to Thames Water billing who accepted that it is not possible for the average person to be using almost 1,000 litres of water per day and there is clearly something wrong.  They agreed to cancel my direct debit pending investigation.

Can I really have used that amount of water without realising?  Is that possible?

I am also wondering if in fact the recent actual reading taken by Thames Water is from the correct meter?  I was made aware in October last year when the last tenant moved out of the flat above me that Thames Water knew he had significant leaking from his flat.  The outgoing tenant told me that Thames Water were writing his bill off.  Could I be getting the meter reading from the flat above me mistakenly?

I cannot afford to pay a £2,000 bill that is imminent, even though my direct debit has been cancelled.  Just panicking and beside myself with worry.

Any insight appreciated.  Thank you.  

MikeJXE

That sounds a lot unless you have a leak or feeding someone else

I live alone in a 1 bed flat and my usage is about 16 m3 per year 

Noor711

MikeJXE said:

That sounds a lot unless you have a leak or feeding someone else

I live alone in a 1 bed flat and my usage is about 16 m3 per year 

Yes, it's eyewatering.  The average usage for one person is calculated as 45m3 per year.  When I entered details into the CCW calculator, it estimated my usage as 50m3 per year.  According to actual readings taken in June 2021 and February 2024 at my property, I am supposedly using 335m3 per year!

I was reassured that the agent I spoke to at Thames Water billing without argument said that's impossible to do in my situation and cancelled my increased direct debits on the spot.  There is clearly something very wrong.

I just wish I was able to open the cover to our water meters so that I can see for myself, but I cannot access it.  

QrizB

Water meters all have unique serial numbers, and an adjacent stop tap. The serial number of the meter will be given in your bill, and the bill is for readings associated with that meter.

If the Thames Water engineer turns off the stop tap adjacent to the meter with that serial number, and the water supply to your flat stops, that meter must be the one serving you.

Noor711 said:

I just wish I was able to open the cover to our water meters so that I can see for myself, but I cannot access it.  

What is preventing you from opening the cover? Usually they simply pry open.

Noor711

QrizB said:

Water meters all have unique serial numbers, and an adjacent stop tap. The serial number of the meter will be given in your bill, and the bill is for readings associated with that meter.

If the Thames Water engineer turns off the stop tap adjacent to the meter with that serial number, and the water supply to your flat stops, that meter must be the one serving you.

Noor711 said:

I just wish I was able to open the cover to our water meters so that I can see for myself, but I cannot access it.  

What is preventing you from opening the cover? Usually they simply pry open.

Thanks @QrizB

I just can't pry the cover open.  I've tried.  Anyway, it doesn't matter because Thames Water have confirmed to me from photographic evidence they have that the meter serial no. which corresponds to my account is the same one giving the astronomic reading I'm disputing.  So I have the correct meter reading corresponding with my account, but the question becomes is it in fact my property's meter?  My flat and the flat above me are new builds.

Because I was told by the last tenant who lived above me that he had significant leaking from his flat and expected a hefty bill to dispute with Thames Water, they are also going to test whether the meter assigned to my property is in fact not my meter but belongs to the upstairs flat.  They will need to enter my flat and the flat above, I'm told, to determine this.  That's all being organised.  My landlord has also booked for a Watersafe approved plumber to visit my flat to check for invisible leaking that could be responsible for the high meter reading and fix it.

In the meantime, I've agreed with Thames Water to make interim monthly payments going forwards towards the massive account balance so that once the investigation is completed, I don't end up with hideous arrears when the bill is readjusted.  Thames Water are saying I shouldn't worry and that it is impossible for a single person household with my appliances and habits to be using almost 1,000 litres of water per day.  That is equivalent to a 6 bedroom house with 6 residents, apparently.  They are confident that once it is sorted, I will likely be entitled to a 'leak allowance' to reduce my bill.  I've been quite impressed with how helpful their customer service advisors in billing have been, so far.

QrizB

OK, it sounds as though you've got everyone involved and they all agree that ther's ssomething funny going on.

Noor711 said:

So I have the correct meter reading corresponding with my account, but the question becomes is it in fact my property's meter?  My flat and the flat above me are new builds.
Because I was told by the last tenant who lived above me that he had significant leaking from his flat and expected a hefty bill to dispute with Thames Water, they are also going to test whether the meter assigned to my property is in fact not my meter but belongs to the upstairs flat.  They will need to enter my flat and the flat above, I'm told, to determine this.

It should be as simple as turning off the water at the meter, then seeing which flat loses its supply. This should not take the engineer long.

Noor711

QrizB said:

OK, it sounds as though you've got everyone involved and they all agree that ther's ssomething funny going on.

Noor711 said:

So I have the correct meter reading corresponding with my account, but the question becomes is it in fact my property's meter?  My flat and the flat above me are new builds.
Because I was told by the last tenant who lived above me that he had significant leaking from his flat and expected a hefty bill to dispute with Thames Water, they are also going to test whether the meter assigned to my property is in fact not my meter but belongs to the upstairs flat.  They will need to enter my flat and the flat above, I'm told, to determine this.

It should be as simple as turning off the water at the meter, then seeing which flat loses its supply. This should not take the engineer long.

That sounds good.  However, if it is my flat's meter, they also will be checking for leaks for which they are responsible externally which might be the cause of the high reading.  They also have to check if the meter is faulty.  

In spite of Thames Water's reassurance, I still find myself wondering maybe I have been using all that water after all and living like 6 people in a big house!  Having the equivalent of 12 baths a day!

macman

You should be able to simply lift the flap with a long narrow screwdriver or similar. If it's clogged up, pour some boiling water over it to flush it out a bit. Then you can verify that it is the correct s/n vs your bill.

Noor711

Hello again,

Just thought I'd leave an update.  Thames Water came out to investigate and discovered that the meter recording my high usage is not actually the meter that serves my property.  It is, as suspected, for the flat upstairs.  So, I have been billed for the last three years for someone else's usage.

The correct meter for my property has been located and Thames Water tell me they will update my account with it shortly.  I will then have to take two readings a week apart for them to recalculate my past and future usage.

Does that sound right?

GingerTim

Noor711 said:

Hello again,

Just thought I'd leave an update.  Thames Water came out to investigate and discovered that the meter recording my high usage is not actually the meter that serves my property.  It is, as suspected, for the flat upstairs.  So, I have been billed for the last three years for someone else's usage.

The correct meter for my property has been located and Thames Water tell me they will update my account with it shortly.  I will then have to take two readings a week apart for them to recalculate my past and future usage.

Does that sound right?

It does indeed, you should get a decent refund. Upstairs, on the other hand, are in for a surprise.. 

kipperman

Noor711 said:

Hello again,

Just thought I'd leave an update.  Thames Water came out to investigate and discovered that the meter recording my high usage is not actually the meter that serves my property.  It is, as suspected, for the flat upstairs.  So, I have been billed for the last three years for someone else's usage.

The correct meter for my property has been located and Thames Water tell me they will update my account with it shortly.  I will then have to take two readings a week apart for them to recalculate my past and future usage.

Does that sound right?

Thanks for the update. It makes you wonder exactly what the flat upstairs are up to using that amount of water!