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hi i dont know how to start a new thread but I was at work and when i got in my daughter had left the tap running (cold ) for two and half hours max - how much is this going to cost me as im on a water meter ?

Hi I'm with Yorkshire water and moved into a new property on the 6th february. The old owner contacted us a week later to say he'd had his final water bill and that it was in the thousands and we needed to contact the water company to sort out the possible leak. Called water company and they told us that they had contacted the previous owner in December to tell him they suspected a leak and that he would need to sort that out. Wouldn't tell us how long they had suspected a leak for as that would breach 'data protection laws' by discussing previous owners account with us. The previous owner had told the water company that there was no stop tap on the property (only the one with the meter) so water company said they wouldn't send anyone out to look at the potential leak until he'd had a stop tap fitted to the property. Anyway, my dad is a plumber so I got him round (he lives 150 miles away so its not like he could just pop over) there is a stop tap on the property but it only stops the hot water not the cold (my dad told me why something to do with when the boiler was fitted) so my dad was going to fix this but then we realised that the water company's water meter wasn't stopping the water coming on the property either. They can't send out a technician for another week to fix it. Then I will get my dad down again to check for the leak. He's already checked under the house and says it isn't on the property but has said he can dig a trench from the meter to the house to check there.
Everyone I speak to at Yorkshire water gives me a different answer as to what I am liable for. I am working to get it fixed as quickly as I can. Has anyone been in a similar position before? There is no OBVIOUS leak in the front garden or on the property but I know this doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't. But if we've been held up in finding the leak because their stop valve doesn't work will they re-imburse us? I've never had a water meter before and am at my wits end with regards to bills that might run into the thousands!

Thanks for your reply. No, yes the meter still runs with the tap off but our house can still run water with the tap off too so the tap doesn't work.

The old owner of our house is a solicitor so I don't fancy my chances - this could be why he has been a bit cagey about things. E.g I spotted some water damage and just texted him to ask if whatever had caused the damage had been properly fixed before we decorated the room and he said he wasn't aware of any water damage but it was obvious that there had been a problem at some point.

thank you for the advice regarding the Water Companies