Removal of Water Meter

Cardew · 4 June 2017 at 9:15AM

tenchy wrote: »

Could I just correct a couple of points. Our house was built in 1997 and doesn't have a meter, in common with a large number of other nearby houses. I don't think there's any such thing as a contract for your water supply.

Interesting.

As the Rateable Value(RV) system of collecting 'local taxes' was abolished in April 1990(replaced by Poll Tax and then the current Council Tax) on what basis are you charged? An assessed charge?

I was aware that water companies had the discretion not to insist on meters being fitted under special circumstances but have not heard of this being applied to several new properties; and it certainly is against the principle of The Water Act.

As a matter of interest which company are you with?

tenchy · 4 June 2017 at 4:18PM

It's Northumbria. Interesting that some properties on the estate are metered, but those houses most remote from the main artery roads are not metered. All houses were built between 1995 and 1997. I assume my payment is based on council tax banding.

macman · 4 June 2017 at 4:29PM

tenchy wrote: »

It's Northumbria. Interesting that some properties on the estate are metered, but those houses most remote from the main artery roads are not metered. All houses were built between 1995 and 1997. I assume my payment is based on council tax banding.

No. Unmetered water rates have absolutely nothing to do with CT, and never have done. You do have a contract for your water supply, as you accepted the contract when you signed up with the supplier and used the supply. It doesn't have to be a written contract.

Cardew · 4 June 2017 at 5:14PM

tenchy wrote: »

It's Northumbria. Interesting that some properties on the estate are metered, but those houses most remote from the main artery roads are not metered. All houses were built between 1995 and 1997. I assume my payment is based on council tax banding.

As said above it will not be on Council Tax banding. It can only be on Rateable Value(RV) or Assessed rate if not metered - see

https://www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/your-account/tariffs-and-charges.aspx

.

assessed charges
(49)
Where a property
is
charged on an unmeasured basis
and
has been deemed
unmeterable by Northumbrian Water, in accordance with the metering
policies set out in section
9
, the customer will have a choice of having their
charges based on the standard unmeasured charge or an assessed charge.
The conditions surrounding this are set out in section
9.1.3
and
9.1.4
.
Assessed charges
structures
(50)
The assessed charges are a fixed annual charge, based on assumed
volumes of water consumption. There are two assessed charges:
(a)
Standard assessed charge

water c
onsumption is assessed at 120 cubic metres per year
(b)
Single occupier assessed charge

water consumption is assessed at 60 cubic metres per year;
Applying
assessed bands
(51)
All properties eligible for an assessed charge will be charged the standard
assessed
charge unless the property is occupied by a single person, when
the single occupier assessed charge will apply.

120 m3 a year is about the average consumption for two people.

In all cases I have seen, it is a requirement of planning permission that new estates will be metered. Seems you folks 'up North' have your own rules;)

[Deleted User] · 4 June 2017 at 5:24PM

1philipp wrote: »

It still seems unfair that rights are not passed on to subsequent owners and that people do not have the choice of metered or unmetered supply

Imagine just how expensive food would be if everyone paid an annual subscription to the supermarket, and then helped themselves to as much as they wanted. It inflates the cost in the same way as going Dutch in a restaurant.

edwink · 4 June 2017 at 5:48PM

Many home owners are surprised when they get their first metered water bill because for some it will work out cheaper.

No need to be negative about it. Just use the water as you normally do and you might be pleasantly surprised when your first bill arrives. If your new bill is higher than you are happy with it is up to you to do something about it but using less water.

We moved too a metered property 8 years ago and too be honest I wasn't that happy about it. But, we decided to make sure our water bills are as low as possible. We now pay around £84 a year for water and sewage for 2 of us whereas next door being a family of 4 unmetered pay over £400 a year.

Find out how much your neighbours are paying if they don't have a meter and challenge yourself as we did to make your water bills lower than theirs. You've got nothing to lose have you?

Edwink

tenchy · 4 June 2017 at 5:53PM

Em.. not sure. I never signed up for anything. As I recall at the time of moving in, there was a letter waiting for me addressed to "The Occupier". I wrote back saying that I required them to supply me with water and that I'd be paying monthly. I just looked at Northumbria website and there's no mention of contracts or terms and conditions. As far as I know, such things don't exist for monopoly suppliers like water companies.

silvercar · 20 June 2017 at 9:16AM

tenchy wrote: »

Em.. not sure. I never signed up for anything. As I recall at the time of moving in, there was a letter waiting for me addressed to "The Occupier". I wrote back saying that I required them to supply me with water and that I'd be paying monthly. I just looked at Northumbria website and there's no mention of contracts or terms and conditions. As far as I know, such things don't exist for monopoly suppliers like water companies.

By starting to use the services, you will be entering into a contract. If you didn't want to use their services then you shouldn't use any water.

same principle applies to gas and electric. The minute you start to use the service you are entering into a contract. Of course, you can move supplier with gas and electric almost immediately, but there is no other water supplier to choose.

tenchy · 20 June 2017 at 11:23PM

silvercar wrote: »

By starting to use the services, you will be entering into a contract. If you didn't want to use their services then you shouldn't use any water.

same principle applies to gas and electric. The minute you start to use the service you are entering into a contract. Of course, you can move supplier with gas and electric almost immediately, but there is no other water supplier to choose.

I researched this previously and you are wrong. There is no such thing as a contract for domestic water supplies. To check this, try and find the T&Cs of the domestic supply for Northumbria Water for example. They don't exist. The water company is legally obliged to supply you. They can't impose terms.

Cardew · 21 June 2017 at 8:51AM

tenchy wrote: »

I researched this previously and you are wrong. There is no such thing as a contract for domestic water supplies. To check this, try and find the T&Cs of the domestic supply for Northumbria Water for example. They don't exist. The water company is legally obliged to supply you. They can't impose terms.

So your contention presumably is that if you have a cottage, up a mountain and miles from anywhere, the water company are 'legally obliged to supply you'. Tell that to the thousands of properties without mains water.

By 'can't impose terms' presumably the customer chooses how much they pay for their water?

Here are 149 terms and conditions for Northumbrian Water household supply.

https://www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/search.aspx?search=terms+and+conditions+for+household+supply&btnG=Search&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&client=default_frontend&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&site=default_collection&access=p#

Or perhaps you should read The Water Act? You can of course choose not to have water supplied.

Also, as mentioned above, if you use a product or service(not just water) you have entered into a contract with that supplier. e.g. if you agree verbally that you will pay a painter £xxx to paint your house, you have entered a contract.

Removal of Water Meter

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