What happens with water bills when you move into a new property?

[Abcd3]

A few months ago I bought a flat. I’ve received gas and electricity bills and paid them, but so far had no water bill. Does anyone know whether it’s my responsibility to find out what the local water company is and ask them to send me a bill, or whether it’s their responsibility to bill me and if they don’t I don’t have to pay?!

Did you let the water board know you had moved in? Have to give meter readings or be told the rateable value?

Of course it’s your responsibility! How do they know you’ve moved in if you don’t tell them.

I didn’t let them know as I expected them to contact me, like the energy company did. I didn’t contact the energy company but they knew on which date the property changed hands and sent bills from that date. I do not know what the water meter reading was when I moved in, so unless the solicitor who dealt with the purchase has a record of it, I’m not at all sure it would be possible to find it out.

It's not the solicitors responsibility to inform the service providers.

The electric company probably knew about you because the seller told them.

You need to contact the water board, and no you won't get free water if you just ignore it.

You need to do the same with your Council tax

Unless you’re in Scotland?

I’m in England. I notified the council that I’m here and have been paying council tax.

I didn’t expect the solicitor to inform the service providers; what I meant was that as part of arranging the sale, meter readings might have been taken on the day of sale. If they weren’t, I really don’t know how I’d find out how much water has been used since I became the owner.

Just to add, everywhere else I’ve lived the relevant water company sent me bills after I moved in without me needing to ask them to. That’s why I assumed it would be the same here.

Are you on a meter or halfly bills? If the latter they will probably send it shortly for the year starting in April, but meter read is normally done by monthly dd and you need to contact the local supplier. When did you move in as your predecessor may well have paid in advance up to April but be entitled to a rebate for the time not living there while you owe some.

Usually you would phone water supplier on the day you move in with a reading, but as you didn't do this I'd ring them with a reading and tell them you are the new owner. Even if you don't, you'll get a backdated bill at some point.

It's up to you to contact the water company and likewise when you move on again.
Chances are that the previous occupants informed the water company that they were moving out. So once you have let them know that you have moved in they will be able to issue a bill backdated to the date you took legal responsibility for the property (even if you didn't move in until a later date).

The water company will likely contact you if the seller has informed them they have moved. They may not have been contacted or there may have been some miscommunication but regardless, it's 100% your responsibility to get in touch and say you have moved in. Yes you will still need to pay but I'd get in touch asap because you're likely to have a large catch up bill if you haven't been paying. Do you have a meter,? In future always read and take pictures of meter reads when moving into a property

Thanks for replies. I actually cannot find a water meter anywhere.

The flat may have a smart meter - when we bought a flat, I just told the water company which day we moved in and we got the first bill six months later. I've never seen the water meter.
If you don't know which is your water company you can find out here.
www.water.org.uk/advice-for-customers/find-your-supplier/

Ask one of the other flats whether there are meters or just rates. The water company would know otherwise.

Thank you. Is a smart meter hidden away on the water pipes or something?

It might be in a utilities cupboard downstairs or even under the paving or drive (ours is below a bush!)

And if you bought the flat this kind of information should be in the vendors' enquiries responses.

It may be on water rates rather than a meter.it depends when the block was built or converted. Either way the water company can apportion the bill.

Is it a purpose built flat with a dedicated water meter? Sometimes dodgy house conversions, particularly old ones, don’t do this properly.

If it's over 11 years since it changed hands it may still be rateable value, though they will install a water once you contact them as all new properties and whenever they change hands have had them for 10 years

It’s an old house converted into flats.

Our water meter was out on the pavement along with 3 other ones!

Just ring them tomorrow and they'll talk you through it

When you didn’t have a water meter, did they charge you some standard rate?

Any property built or converted (legally, not done by cowboy builders) since 1990 will be metered. Anything built before then will originally been on water rates, but may have subsequently have had a meter fitted...and once it's been fitted there's no option to revert to the rateable value method of billing.