Southern Water bill extremely high £1,141.80!

alecchalmers

Hi all,

I’m hoping someone can offer some advice because we’ve received a Southern Water bill for £1,141.80 and cannot work out what has happened. We usually pay around £50 per month.

The bill covers 15 April to 5 August and says two of us used 208,000 litres of water, averaging 1,841 litres a day. We have not had any unusual water use, building work, constantly running taps or anything else that could remotely explain that amount.

Looking at the detailed readings, the old meter apparently went from 648 on 14 April to 837 on 25 May. That means it recorded 189,000 litres in about six weeks, or roughly 4,500 litres every day.

The meter was then replaced on 26 May, but we were never told why. After that, only another 19,000 litres was added up to 5 August, although that figure is estimated rather than an actual reading. Almost the entire bill therefore comes from the short period immediately before the old meter was replaced.

To complicate matters, we are moving out next week. The bill is described as a final bill, but the final reading is only an estimate for 5 August, despite the bill having been produced before that date.

We accept that we used a normal amount of water and would pay a correct bill. What we do not accept is that two people somehow used 189,000 litres in six weeks without any obvious sign of it.

Has anyone dealt with a similar unexplained meter reading, replaced meter or leak? We would also appreciate advice on what evidence we should collect before moving out, as this is the last thing we needed.

QrizB

Looking at the detailed readings, the old meter apparently went from 648 on 14 April to 837 on 25 May ... The meter was then replaced on 26 May

It sounds to me as though there was an error (most likely human error) with the final reading on your exchanged meter.

It's unfortunate that you don't have any in-between readings, or weren't able to take your own reading before the meter was swapped.

To complicate matters, we are moving out next week. The bill is described as a final bill, but the final reading is only an estimate for 5 August, despite the bill having been produced before that date.

You can hardly expect them to have an actual reading for a future date!

alecchalmers

On reflection, it does sound like human error when someone was taking the final reading of the previous water meter before they replaced it.

I don't have any way to prove it because the water meters for our building aren't accessible to residents. They didn't even notify me that they had replaced it, so it's not like I could have gone out of my way to get the building maintenance officer to help get a reading for me back in May, as I didn't know I needed to and this isn't something we are expected to do every month just in case a human adds a zero onto our bill.

I'm really confused as to why they didn't mention this until now.

YBR

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82088076#Comment_82088076

OR the meter was misbehaving before it was replaced, and perhaps that was also why it was replaced. Not that this can now be proven.

Either way I suggest you challenge it and pay the normal amount in the interim.

Can you arrange with the building maintenance officer to get a reading on or close to moving day?

bazdvd

We pay a lot more than £50 per month.

Were your bills being estimated rather than from a reading of the meter?

alecchalmers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82088201#Comment_82088201

Yes, they are estimated. We sometimes pay a little more than £50 too, but this is astronomically high.

alecchalmers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82088141#Comment_82088141

They've rolled it up into the final bill and won't let us pay what we would normally owe for the month.

We'll definitely be getting that final meter reading before we leave, even if I have to break into the area to do it 😆

We've asked them why it was replaced, but the agent seems nonplussed, and we'll probably have to wait until Monday for the computer to stop saying 'No'.

They are adamant that we must conduct a bunch of tests, which we will do, but I feel like it's a trap. If the tests all come back fine, which I'm sure they will, they have already told us that we will owe the money because it will prove there is no leak. What does not having a leak now have to do with a faulty meter or incorrect reading four months ago?

Also, don't they have an obligation to tell us if they are replacing it and that they took a reading in secret and it was enormous? This all seems extremely dodgy.

FrugaiMacDugal

'' I don't have any way to prove it because the water meters for our building aren't accessible to residents. ''

Have they maybe changed the wrong meter?

alecchalmers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82088810#Comment_82088810

This is certainly a possibility, we hadn't thought of this. It's something we can at least attempt to check if they have recorded meters before replacing them. Maybe our final reading matches another meter. Thank you!

FrugaiMacDugal

You will need to get access to the meters, check the meter number is same as on your bill. and take a reading.

You maybe didn't get notified because they were changing another apartment meter.