New House - No Water Meter - No Bills!!!!

[taboozizi]

Hi There!

 

We moved into a newish house (built 2005) in November last year.

 

It transpires that the house was not fitted with a water meter when built.

 

We contacted United Utilities to close our account in the old house and informed them about the address for the new house. They were confused as they had no record of an account/meter at the new house. UU said they would investigate, but we have heard nothing since and had no bills!

 

We are pleased that our money has stayed in our pockets but are worried that UU will show up in 3, 4 or 10 years time demanding a great wedge from us.

 

Can anyone advise on how to proceed or what if anything we are responsible or liable for?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Taboozizi

[bigpeterlg22]

hi taboozizi

 

you have advised that there is no meter fitted to the property, who told you this ? uu or the builders.

 

are you aware if a there is a meter hole/chamber fitted (usually a little black cover about the size of a table mat down the end of the drive or on the driveway), if not is there a internal meter fixing i.e pipework which has been capped off either under the stair cupboard, kitchen sink or in the or outside garage.

 

do you have your builders handover sheet with meters & reading serial number on for the gas & electric as water meter serial numbers are often included on this?

 

(the above answers would assist with answers for the thread).

 

the situation is that you would be held liable from the date you brought the property.

 

if there is no meter fitted but a meter chamber, all that needs to happen is a meter to be dropped in. you will then have check reads based on you average consumption and from this they will be able to produce a bill.

 

if there is no chamber or fittings, they property will have to be served to see where they can fit a meter or not (usally they can)

depending on what the result of a survey come back as depends on what they do next and the work involved and costs (this will be argued between the water company and the builders/builders agents and a possible fine for the builders) as new built domestic properties have to have a meter fitted to them before they are connected onto the distribution system of the water company.

 

it also could possibly be that the builders fitted a meter but never passed on the meter serial no onto uu or this is causing confusion or the meter allocated for your property has been listed against another property

[taboozizi]

Hi bigpeterlg22

 

Thank you for your detailed reply.

 

The house is a self-build, which we bought from the family who built the house.

 

As they handed over the keys they made a vague reference to never having had a water bill. So I suspect they knew what they had done i.e. not fitted a water meter and not told UU. This family have now moved to Greece with no forwarding address supplied. I suspect the self builders managed to get connected under the radar of UU because the land previously had a small industrial unit built on it and probably already had a supply of mains water.

 

UU had no record of the house or meter, when we informed them that we had moved.

 

There was no handover sheet provided to us, they just told us where the gas & electricity meters were located.

 

I am 90% sure that there is no meter inside or out, though I will check when it gets light tomorrow.

 

So you think we would be liable for the full time in the property, even though we informed UU that we had moved in and have hidden anything?

 

Regards

 

Taboozizi

[raydetinu]

Without a doubt they will be after you for their money, suggest you get a meter fitted straight away. the bill will be bsed on the rateble value from the time you moved in to the time a meter is fitted. so lots!

[Lula]

is it not like electricity or gas, that they can only backdate a bill for a year?

[taboozizi]

Thanks for the comments.

 

I read somewhere that the limit on backdating only applies to gas & elec' bills. Unless someone can tell me I am wrong?? Please.....

 

We have been quite pleased for the last year at the lack of a bill but I am starting to regret this. Hmmmmm

[pelham9]

 Without a doubt they will be after you for their money, suggest you 
get a meter fitted straight away. the bill will be bsed on the rateble 
value from the time you moved in to the time a meter is fitted. so lots!

 

A house built in 2005 does not have a rateable value. What they will do is to fit a meter, take an an average usage over say one month and then use this average to bill you for the unmetered period. This very unfair and may not be legal but you may wish to accept this. If you do

 

1) Make sure you use as little water during the average period - from the date of the fitting to the second reading. If possible do not use any water - eg go on holiday during the average period

 

2) Make sure that you record every whole day that you were not in occupation (eg on holiday) during the unmetered period - you cannot have used the average during those days.

 

3) it may be because you have guests staying that the average taken in this way is not in any way representative of your usage during the unmetered period. Keep records and argue with them.

[pelham9]

The backdating rules that apply to gas and electricity do not apply to water companies.

 

Water companies are legally obliged to fit water meters to new builds. There appear to be no sanctions if they do not do so. I feel that the best sanction to apply is that the whole supply is free until a meter is fitted !! However Ofwat do not edequately regulate and seem to allow water companies to use this unfair average method.

 

Bear in mind that the water company has no legal proof that you have used any water at all during the unmetered period. Part of the service charge is to cover meter readings, billing and associated computer costs and they clearly have not been doing that.

 

What I find amazing is that UU seem to be unable to monitor newbuilds and say without regret that they were unaware of the completion/occupation of the building. Newbuilds must have planning permission and this is all published on the net. Surely water companies must be involved in planning - they are required to deliver water at a set presssure so must be able to see plans to check that they can do so. They appear to rely on builders and occupiers to keep them informed!

 

Meter readings will be taken regurlarly in the district around the new build. Should it not be part of the job of meter readers to report on the status of new builds?

 

Meters for gas and electricity are always fitted before occupation - no meter = no supply. How is it possible for a builder to allow occupancy before a water meter is fitted?

 

Water companies need to tighten up their act. This will cost them but Ofwat allow them to recover unmetered charges by this average system so why bother. Ofwat need to regulate.