Water meter without notice or consultation

[SpamhappyTootsie]

Last week, United Utilities were beavering away up and down our road “installing new pipe work”. A brand new hole appeared in front of our drive, tarmac and small manhole cover. When asked, the workmen muttered something about “new pipework”.
Received 2 statements/bills today. One with our usual monthly charge, one welcoming us to our new metered charge. Phone call to customer services hasn’t answered any questions - she couldn’t seem to get her head round the fact we are in a terrace of 6 and none of the other houses in the terrace have had a meter installed.

Are we now paying a metered charge based on the usage of every house in the terrace divided by 6?
Are United Utilities allowed to install a meter without our express consent? We absolutely have not had any communication about the planned work.

Please no one say “what did the company say when you asked them?” in time honoured MN fashion as we have asked them and they wouldn’t tell us.

Yes they can install a meter, it comes under the water act 1988 (thanks Maggie ) they normally take an average if they can't install individual ones.

Typically, if you have a new water meter fitted you have the option of changing your mind within the first 12-24 months or so and going back to rates. I appreciate that you didn't actually ask for this meter to be fitted, but that might be an avenue to explore of they're not being communicative about why the hell it's there in the first place - 'I've no idea why you've fitted a water meter, so I'd like to exercise my right to switch back to rateable value charges, thanks'.

Wow, ok, that’s pretty old legislation, but if they’ve only just got round to it in this area……. Thanks @GideonSmideon .

I’m annoyed at the sneaky way it’s been done. No letter saying “Under legislation of blah blah blah………we are now installing a meter outside your property” and no explanation when DH phoned up. Just vague “oh maybe all your neighbours already have meters” (they haven’t). Outright lie that it’s a meter just on our individual property. And that we had received a letter about it.

You can't refuse it if it's the water company's decision. Apologies it may have been the 1991 water act.

@Persipan that’s exactly what DH asked them to do when he phoned. We’ll be receiving a rateable value bill to confirm, apparently.

I’m not against water meters as such, but I’m definitely against them as part of an average with 5 other properties whose use of water I have zero control over!

We are with Affinity Water. This last week we’ve had a letter to say we are going to have water meters installed within the next 6 months. It also says that our meter will be monitored for 2 years before actually being charged for usage rather than monthly amount, but we can ask to pay for usage if we want. At present we are a family of 4 adults in a 3 bedded house, where my sons have 2 power showers each day, DH and I have a bath each day, washing machine and dishwasher is on every day. I can see our bills going up.

@Mindymomo I wouldn’t mind so much if it was just measuring my house’s water usage. I’d rather pay a rateable value, but if meters are mandated then so be it.
I just can’t see how it’s fair that I might be paying for Fred down the terrace to wash his cars every week with a hose pipe and next door to water their huge garden etc.

And in the interest of fairness, I don’t see why my neighbours should have to pay for my long, luxurious showers and baths or hosing Fox shit off the dog

So is the meter installed on the pipe that supplies you all or just on your house's supply?

On the pipe that supplies us all. A neighbour told us they’d asked for a meter a few years ago but due to the configuration of the Edwardian plumbing, it wasn’t possible.
The next terrace has also had one meter fitted at the end.

Probably best to go for an official written complaint that the meter is in the wrong place

We had a water company out and out lie to us. They said they'd been round to read the meter. Completely impossible without one of us letting them in.

I wouldn't want to be getting an average either. Our water usage is huge and it would be very unfair to others if we were included in any calculations.