Told I couldn't have a meter, may not be the case

battenburg88

I moved into my house some 7-8 years ago. As there was a change of ownership, the water company were going to install a meter. They came and changed something in the pavement and then I'm pretty sure I heard nothing for quite a few months. I remember phoning them to ask what was happening and they told me that they couldn't install the meter because I have a shared supply with my neighbour. They had contacted the neighbour but had had no response, so the answer was just that I couldn't have a meter as it would require some co-operation with the neighbour (not sure what exactly). I've been on the rateable charge since then, and just thought I had to suck it up because the alternative is lots of digging up the front of the house to split the supply.

Fast forward to today and I read something about an assessed charge where a meter cannot be installed - I think this would be cheaper than the rateable charge.

I phoned up the water company to double check what I'm on and also asked the question of whether its possible to install a meter inside the house (i.e. beyond where the supply splits). Apparently it may be possible, but they would need to do a survey to confirm one way or the other.

There are a few ifs, buts and maybes here, but I now find myself where, after all these years it might be possible to install a water meter after all. I'm the sole occupier in a 2 bed house, so this would probably have saved me a lot of money over many years.

Alternatively, if they do a survey and find that they can't install a meter inside either then I may be eligible for an assessed charge. Had a known this before, then this is also likely to have amounted to a big saving over many years.

What's frustrating, and what brings me to the forum, is that I don't remember being told there was a possibility of an inside meter, nor than the option of an assessed charge existed. I can't be 100% sure of this because its all so long ago, but if I had been told at the time then it feels like the kind of thing that I would have pursued, knowing that I would have saved money with both options.

When I said this on the phone, the water company just replied that there was nothing that could be done. Their website does say that an assessed charge can't be applied retrospectively, but I'm wondering if they had/have any obligation to have made sure I was aware that a) it might be possible to install a meter inside and b) that there is such a thing as an assessed charge?

I've asked for them to review their records of what I was told etc. and am due a call back in a couple of days. But, I'm trying to understand in advance if they might have some kind of case to answer here or if its just wishful thinking on my part. All I really recall is being told that they couldn't install the meter and that was the end of it. 

Are there any good questions I should be asking when they call me back? Any regulations that mean that this should have been made clearer to me so that I didn't spend the next 8 years paying extra?

Of course, if they have a recording of a phonecall where they did tell me all of this (and I didn't act on it for some reason) then I'll hold me hands up as it would have been my oversight. 

Swipe

Good luck and let us know how you get on.