Parents switching to a meter, meter already existing - confused!

Annabee

My elderly parents asked me to help them look through their bills and accounts. I noticed that their water bill was huge. Well over £1,000, and by comparison my husband and I have been paying less than £500 per annum, on a meter which I Googled and it seems that is about average for a Severn Trent customer, as my parents also are. Their bill was based on the rateable value of the house, which is a small detached, whereas ours is a semi, but the property value is not that different.

I told my father that as its just the 2 of them they'd be better off having a meter installed (based on Martin's advice). So he rang them on Monday and he is delighted because his payments are reducing from £71 per month to £40. But the strange thing is that they told him there is already a meter at the house, and they contacted it remotely and changed the billing to metered. Dad has no recollection of having a meter installed. Why didn't Severn Trent start using it for bills when they installed it?? Seems very weird. Dad is quite happy and thinks it's a win, but my husband is fuming and saying my parents have been ripped off! Should we push for a refund for them if they have been overcharged? 

Anyone have any idea what's happened here? 

Green_hopeful

So there are three ways of charging for water:

- measured - on a meter;
- unmeasured known as rateable value - based on the value of the house in the 1990s; and
- assessed measured if they can’t fit a meter.

The law says they can’t charge on a measured basis unless you ask for it or certain requirements apply but that doesn’t stop them installing a meter on the supply. They just can’t charge on it. The meter number normally includes a reference to the year it was installed. They should have told your parents when it was installed. You could ask whether their bill could be back dated on the basis of the actual water used. I don’t think they will be “entitled” but they might do it as a goodwill gesture. 

Your parents might also be entitled to one of the social tariffs for vulnerable customers. https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-account/help-when-you-need-it/help-with-paying-your-bill/big-difference-scheme/

p00hsticks

We used to live in a Severn Trent area and I seem to recall that at some point (around ten years ago in our area?) they dug up the pavement immediately outslde and installed meters at the points just before the main pipework entered each property to put in meters and so make it easier to switch people over to a metered supply if they requested it. They told us at the time (via a leaflet through the door) what they were doing but we were assured that this would not mean we were switched over to metered billing unless we specifically requested it. 

I guess it's easier, cheaper and less disruptive to proactively do a whole street at a time that to do individual properties as and when they request a meter.

freesha

It's probably a check meter, installed to check for water use/flow/leaks, but not used for billing until the customer requests it.