Water leak - who pays?

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 10:42AM

In 2014 I asked for a meter to be fitted to my flat as I figured it would be cheaper and also better for the environment. All has gone OK until Friday when I received an updated bill. I now have to pay £44 a month rather than £26 a month - I am a single person working full time, living alone.

I did all the meter checks (turning the stopcock off, etc.) and it appears that there is a leak somewhere. The water company are sending someone out on Friday, so in the meantime I have to turn the stopcock off when I am out which isn't a big deal although means I can't leave the dishwasher/washing machine running.

I am a tenant, and the meter is not in my flat, but in the main hall for the 2 flats. I live above a shop, so if there were any leaks within my flat, I would know about them. Our maintenance man said the leak must be external and that as the meter isn't in my flat it is an external leak, so hopefully is covered by the water company.

The water company agreed that the last reading was higher than all my previous usage. Do I have any recourse, please? Do I have to pay for water I haven't used?

Many thanks.

Takmon · 28 January 2019 at 11:44AM

ellymoo wrote: »

I am a tenant, and the meter is not in my flat, but in the main hall for the 2 flats. I live above a shop, so if there were any leaks within my flat, I would know about them. Our maintenance man said the leak must be external and that as the meter isn't in my flat it is an external leak, so hopefully is covered by the water company.

When i moved house i noticed my water usage was a bit high over the first few days and when i checked the meter was still moving with everything turned off.
I traced it to a dodgy seal on the toilet flush and water was constantly flowing when it didn't seal fully. Even though it didn't appear much this did add up when leaking constantly 24/7 so this may be something you want to check.

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 11:50AM

Thanks for your reply. I did have the flush looked at a couple of years ago as I had a similar issue, and it was resolved. I don't hear any sounds coming from the loo when it's not been used, but it is worth bearing that in mind, and checking it again, thank you.

Cardew · 28 January 2019 at 12:00PM

Our maintenance man said the leak must be external and that as the meter isn't in my flat it is an external leak, so hopefully is covered by the water company.

If the leak is external, what is the point of turning off your stopcock?

The repair problem is the landlord's responsibility.

Some water companies give a leakage allowance in these cases. However it is a 'goodwill' gesture and not an entitlement.

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 12:02PM

When I turn the stopcock off, the meter stops running.

spadoosh · 28 January 2019 at 12:14PM

ellymoo wrote: »

When I turn the stopcock off, the meter stops running.

If your stopcock is after your meter (ie in your house) then the leak isnt external.

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 12:15PM

Well it gets more complicated, as it isn't in the flat. It is in the hallway off which 2 flats feed. So I don't know if that makes it internal or external.

matelodave · 28 January 2019 at 12:42PM

If you are a tenant then I would have though that it was down to the landlord to get it fixed.

However it does show the wisdom of checking your meter yourself a bit more frequently than when the bill comes in because you can see when something is wrong and do something about it before it becomes a problem.

As Cardew says, some water co's will give you an allowance for a leak provided it is identified and sorted out quickly.

As said above, if the meter stops turning when your stopcock is closed then the leak is on your side of the stopcock so you need to check not only the toilet cistern but any tanks that you might have in the loft for the heating or hot water supply. Check for water coming out of overflow pipes up near the eaves

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 12:44PM

Thank you - the irony of the situation is that I had been doing my meter readings regularly up until a few months ago when I forgot and it seemed pretty pointless as they always stayed regular - grrrr!

I have now asked the landlord to send out a plumber to look for the leak.

Would the water company offer any allowance if the leak was on my side?

matelodave · 28 January 2019 at 2:28PM

ellymoo wrote: »

Thank you - the irony of the situation is that I had been doing my meter readings regularly up until a few months ago when I forgot and it seemed pretty pointless as they always stayed regular - grrrr!

I have now asked the landlord to send out a plumber to look for the leak.

Would the water company offer any allowance if the leak was on my side?

All you can do ask, some do and some dont. It's a goodwill gesture.

We had a leak several years ago which I discovered during my regular monthly meter reading, Just over a £100 worth of water got wasted in just one month and Anglian Water did credit my account when I'd got it fixed.

Six months worth of leakage would have been a hell of a lot more expensive and probably would have undermined my drive and house foundations as the leak was in the underground pipe.

My regular monthy routine is to read both energy and water meters just to ensure that everything is OK and to keep an eye on my bills. It only takes ten minutes or so but can save a lot of grief in the future

ellymoo · 28 January 2019 at 3:02PM

I read my energy bills every month, but water I stopped a few months ago for some reason. I wouldn't have noticed any significant difference between the readings; the energy bill is produced monthly but the water one only six-monthly. You are right though, it's worth doing regularly.

Water leak - who pays?

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