Shared water supply

mills112

My FIL bought a flat that appears to have a shared water supply with the one upstairs as it is a converted maisonette.

We were not told about this and only found out from the neighbour upstairs, who said they had a water meter fitted to their property.

I am still waiting for more information from the neighbour and also setting up a water account for my FIL.

If it does turn out that the water supply is shared, should the seller have disclosed this in the TA6 form? Where does it ask this on the TA6 form?

Where it asks about the water supplier and meter, the seller stated not known as tenanted.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6676710/shared-water-supply

If it does turn out that the water supply is shared, should the seller have disclosed this in the TA6 form? Where does it ask this on the TA6 form?

Was the seller specifically asked about the water supply?

mills112

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074116#Comment_82074116

just the usual TA6 question of who is the water supplier and whether there is a water meter. I don't see where the TA6 form asks if the water supply is shared but when I did a google search, the answer came back that the seller needed to disclose this fact on the TA6 form.

QrizB

Where it asks about the water supplier and meter, the seller stated not known as tenanted.

That would be a reasonable reply for gas or electricity, but for water there's no choice of supplier and the owner should know whether it's metered or based on rateable value.

WIAWSNB

Hi Mills.

The upstairs neighbour presumably has their meter fitted inside their flat? In which case, that's all your FIL would need to do too if he wanted, and it would almost certainly save him a shedload of money.

The only 'issue' I am aware of is if one of you needs work carried out that requires the external supply turned off, as that could shut the other flat down too for the duration. But as long as your FIL's, and the neighb's, internal stopcocks are working fine, that shouldn't happen. And I think the installation of a water meter would include a nice new SC.

Does your FIL have any actual concerns about this arrangement?

anselld

I have flats like this. There is a single water Company meter and the Water Co bills the Freeholder based on the single supply. There are two sub-meters which the Freeholder then uses to divide the bill. Both leaseholders benefit from sharing the standing charges.

When the upstairs say they have had a water meter fitted, who's meter is it and what does it measure. I doubt the water co would fit an internal meter which only meters half of the supply. The FIL needs to find out what exactly are the billing / metering / sharing arrangements before deciding if there is anything to complain about.

noitsnotme

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074419#Comment_82074419

As it's a shared water supply, it most likely runs through the OPs flat first. So any meter the OP fits, the reading will include upstairs usage as well. So unless upstairs is willing to share their meter reading so the OP can subtract it from their own reading, a meter is not going to help much. Unless there is a freeholder who can deal with working out the meter readings as suggested by anselld above.

I own a commercial property (that I use) with a flat above (rented out) and that is exactly how the supply is set up. It goes through the commercial property first and then on up to the flat. If I wanted meters I would have to fit internal meters that I would have to pay for and then deal with working out the readings and who owes what. For that reason both properties are still on deemed usage/bills.

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074494#Comment_82074494

At some point, even if the mains pipe runs right through the OP's flat first, it will surely branch off to supply just the OP's flat. I'd have though a meter could be installed after at that branch? But, I don't know if WBs do this.

noitsnotme

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074795#Comment_82074795

That would be an internal meter that the OP would have to pay for and from my understanding, the water supplier won’t read it. As far as I know, the supplier will only fit an external meter which in this case will record the usage for the whole building.

It begs the question why the upstairs flat has their own meter. Who is reading it and to what benefit?

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074808#Comment_82074808

As far as I know, the supplier will only fit an external meter…

It depends on the water company. Some would/will(?) fit (and read) an internal meter, some went through a phase where they would only fit internal meters.

Anecdotally, it seems many water companies are now more likely to go with assessed charges if fitting a meter is in the 'too difficult' category.

So it is possible the upper flat has an internal 'official' water company meter, and also possible if the OP's FIL asks for one he might be put on assessed charges instead.

mills112

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82074419#Comment_82074419

they have a water meter inside their flat but i can't see how my FIL is going to get the water meter for his flat if the supply goes through one supply pipe?