Moving Home - Water Company Refuses To Read Metre Hidden In Pavement!

[EViS]

I moved out of my apartment (there are 14 in the block) yesterday and the new tenants have already moved in. I am the landlord at the property in question.

 

The water meter is hidden in the pavement outside and I don't seem to have access to it. Thames Water have stated that they will close my account on an estimated bill based on the last reading (some 6 months ago). They told me that they do NOT send 'meter readers' out for closing accounts ! I am very hesitant to agree to close my account on an estimated reading.

 

My primary reason for this is that the first reading I ever received from Thames Water produced a bill for some £400 for a 3 month period!! They clearly read it incorrectly and it took a lot of bother on my part to get them to read it again, some 3 weeks later!

 

Surely this isn't right and legally they should send someone out to read the metre? Otherwise, either I will be getting ripped off or the tenants that have just moved in?

 

I have asked for a 'manager' to call me later today to discuss this but apparently the answer will be as per above anyway, so I am told by the advisor on the telephone.

 

Anyone have any advice onto how to pursue this please?

[EViS]

Manager called back (to my surprise) and said someone will be over in the next 3 days to read the meter. Hopefully it will get sorted... Please feel free to reply anyway as I am intrigued as to the legalities of this.

[Kryt]

I had similar with Anglia Water - block of flats and the meters are under a panel in the main pavement - also in the middle of the access to our car park, meaning that to read our meter (we had a dispute as they were trying to charge £70 a month and we're only light water users + have energy saving everything in this flat) they'd effectively have to come out and block the road off. Daft design decision. But of course *we* were instructed to read the meter anyway. Refused outright, put my foot down and said if they want ANY payment, they had better come read the meters. Took plenty of pictures of the locations of the meter and said I'd happily forward them to ofwat along with their correspondence to say it would be safe for a member of public to read those meters. They soon moved!