Thames water meter saying I’ve refused because I don’t want kitchen cupboards ruined

Spikeygran

I just looked at my suppliers website they have multiple meter options in multiple sizes of pipes, from basic tried and trusted meters (their words) to some technologically advanced ones.  I was a bit surprised at the choice, I was thinking one type for cupboards and one for in ground.  

Of course not all water companies are the same, but if theres a wider choice available the OP might find one acceptable.

KxMx

Have you seen one in situ?

Mine was slightly more obtrusive in previous kitchen, the new kitchen was fitted around it last year.

Also not my under sink cupboard. Which has much bigger cut aways to allow pipe access. 

As you can see it's a small round cut out, leaving the cupboard 100% useable.
Nothing falls through the hole out to the back.
If there was a risk of that happening common sense applies in putting big items in front and smaller items ahead of those. 

[Deleted User]

Creamcarpet said:

[Deleted User] said:

Creamcarpet said:

TadleyBaggie said:

Having to cut into the back of a cupboard (under the sink?) hardly sounds like a ruined kitchen.

It’s not under the sink.  It’s a cupboard next to where the sink is, and the back of it will have to be cut away, in my opinion is ruining the kitchen. Would you have the backs of your cupboards cut away?

Yes, a few of my (still fairly new) kitchen cupboards have sections of the back cut away for access to various bits of plumbing. It's a normal thing to do - and not something that is visible unless you empty the cupboard, open the door and get down on your hands and knees. Is there a particular reason this matters to you?

Because there would be a big hole and the contents of the cupboard would probably end up falling down the back, and would have to remove the kick boards to retrieve them.

Hi, a fair enough point. It really depends on who makes the hole as to whether it's a problem. Mine were made neatly by the kitchen installer. Two are at a level where that isn't a problem, and the thrid one has a panel at the back of the cupboard that can easily be pulled out as needed. So an easy enough problem to work around if you don't get anywhere with TW - the cost of having it done "nicely" is likely to be recovered very quickly through reduced bills when the water meter is installed.

subjecttocontract

Swipe said:

Emmia said:

Creamcarpet said:

Not that it’s anyone’s business, but being as you so interested I pay the bills on my daughters house which she owns without a mortgage- ooh that’s interesting eh?
Those interested in the bill payment and why I deem it will ruin the kitchen, seem to make an awful lot of comments on this forum-go troll someone else if you don’t have the answer to my question.

Edit: As someone with a meter in the street, having it in a cupboard in the kitchen would make reading it more convenient.

And not under a foot of cow manure and rain water that has to be scooped out by hand in my case during wet spells.

I've had my water meter fitted for the past 30 years and the only time I have ever looked at it/read it was the day it was installed. The water company read the meter so there is no reason to shift cow manure or water cos they do that for you. Unless of course.........are you a meter reader. ????

Swipe

subjecttocontract said:

Swipe said:

Emmia said:

Creamcarpet said:

Not that it’s anyone’s business, but being as you so interested I pay the bills on my daughters house which she owns without a mortgage- ooh that’s interesting eh?
Those interested in the bill payment and why I deem it will ruin the kitchen, seem to make an awful lot of comments on this forum-go troll someone else if you don’t have the answer to my question.

Edit: As someone with a meter in the street, having it in a cupboard in the kitchen would make reading it more convenient.

And not under a foot of cow manure and rain water that has to be scooped out by hand in my case during wet spells.

I've had my water meter fitted for the past 30 years and the only time I have ever looked at it/read it was the day it was installed. The water company read the meter so there is no reason to shift cow manure or water cos they do that for you. Unless of course.........are you a meter reader. ????

After a mains pipe leak at my previous property, I'd rather not go six months again without any eyes on my meter readings. My bungalow (with a long drive) has the original pipe that was laid in 1970 and not the indestructible blue MDPE mains pipe that is the standard these days. Periodic monthly checks helped me spot another leak a couple of years after my mains pipe was replaced at the old place where the contractor used a badly fitting connector on the meter box tail pipe. I managed to get that one fixed by Severn Trent free of charge. So once bitten, twice shy.

jvjack

Each fitter will cut out the backboard accordingly. lol. My meter (not smart) is also upside down so have to take photo and read.  Mine though is different to  KxMx setup picture. Creamcarpet when you say  "She’s only got a small kitchen and the cupboard where the stopcock is located at the back is quite small anyway"  do you mean it's behind or in the cupboard at the back. If its behind then you might get a nice setup like in KxMx picture and not like mine.

subjecttocontract

Swipe said:

subjecttocontract said:

Swipe said:

Emmia said:

Creamcarpet said:

Not that it’s anyone’s business, but being as you so interested I pay the bills on my daughters house which she owns without a mortgage- ooh that’s interesting eh?
Those interested in the bill payment and why I deem it will ruin the kitchen, seem to make an awful lot of comments on this forum-go troll someone else if you don’t have the answer to my question.

Edit: As someone with a meter in the street, having it in a cupboard in the kitchen would make reading it more convenient.

And not under a foot of cow manure and rain water that has to be scooped out by hand in my case during wet spells.

I've had my water meter fitted for the past 30 years and the only time I have ever looked at it/read it was the day it was installed. The water company read the meter so there is no reason to shift cow manure or water cos they do that for you. Unless of course.........are you a meter reader. ????

After a mains pipe leak at my previous property, I'd rather not go six months again without any eyes on my meter readings. My bungalow (with a long drive) has the original pipe that was laid in 1970 and not the indestructible blue MDPE mains pipe that is the standard these days. Periodic monthly checks helped me spot another leak a couple of years after my mains pipe was replaced at the old place where the contractor used a badly fitting connector on the meter box tail pipe. I managed to get that one fixed by Severn Trent free of charge. So once bitten, twice shy.

My water pipe in blue MDPE was installed when I built the house. After nearly 30 years of water usage records we know that we use 40 cu metres of water every 6 months and have bills to prove it. like the vast majority of home owners we've never had a water leak and don't live life expecting one. They're a rare occurance. We had a burst pipe in the road outside recently which took 10 days to fix and must have lost 1000's of gallons of water.

Bigphil1474

OP, ask if they'll do an assessed charge for your daughter. Usually cheaper than the unmetered charge. They might say no because they think you can have a meter, but then again maybe not. Our assessed charge was half the unmetered cost (while we waited for the meter to be fitted).

marcia_

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, ask if they'll do an assessed charge for your daughter. Usually cheaper than the unmetered charge. They might say no because they think you can have a meter, but then again maybe not. Our assessed charge was half the unmetered cost (while we waited for the meter to be fitted).

 I thought you could only get an assed charge if a meter can't be fitted. The op is choosing to not have one 

born_again

Spikeygran said:

born_again said:

Spikeygran said:

I dont think I'd want one in a kitchen cupboard either, purely from losing the cupboard space.  I would expect some condension in the winter and maybe some noise from the water flow.  

Why do you think you would get noise from a water meter?
Condensation is already there on the pipes that run to sink.

Ours is under sink. Takes up no more room than the pipes do.

Put noisy water meter into an internet search, everything from air, debris from works, change in pressure ................. 5 common reasons apparently.   

Could you add a photo of yours, it might help the OP?    Sometime when workers describe the process it sounds a lot worse than it actual is.  

It's at back of cupboard with lots of bottles etc round it. Same size as the others posted.