Forum Topic

These here Water works

Brentford and South Ealing have been plagued by the road works, blocking off whole streets at a time, being done on behalf of Thames Water, they are getting rid of the lead and metal pipes and replacing them with plastic ones, well good on them BUT the contractors are also putting in water meters - did anyone know this?  Water metering by stealth?  What worries me is that some of the properties in our road are joined together by either twos or threes, so how is that going to work?  Am I going to be paying for the seven tenants next door to me?  Anyone know anything about this?

Jo Smith ● 6447d9 Comments

can someone from Thame Water explain to me what happens?

Jo Smith ● 6444d

Yes, that is what worries me and why I posted the first message

Jo Smith ● 6445d

"how does the householder get access to look at their own meter in order to see for themselves if there's anything amiss?"You get a screwdriver, lever up the meter cover, and read the meter.  Many of the meters near us are in the pavement, like this one pictured on the Thames Water site.I think they are installing meters as they replace the mains, as it saves digging up the pavement again later. As far as I know, customers are able to remain on the unmetered tariff if they wish.  However, there's nothing to stop you reading the meter yourself to find out if you'd be better off on the metered tariff.Re William's query, I'm sure they would install a meter where the water pipe enters your property, and similarly for your neighbour.

Richard Jennings ● 6446d

l live in a semi detached and share a water main with next door,if he uses his shower l find that my water pressure drops as l am second in line,there for how can we get seperate meters?

William Micheal Read ● 6446d

So if that is the case and you get a bill that you think is outrageous - how does the householder get access to look at their own meter in order to see for themselves if there's anything amiss? After all it's not unknown for utility bills and meters to go wrong. Also are Thames Water allowed to do this? Was it not he case that they could do this when a house was sold or on new build?

Vanessa Smith ● 6446d

Do you mean terraced and semis? They would still have separate water pipes coming off the main.Yes, most meters are in the pavement, not the property, to make it easy for Thames Water to read them.JL

Jim Linwood ● 6447d

Vanessa, sorry you are wrong, one of my clients has one outside her property line.  Jim I would not mind if it was just my water, but we were built in the 1860s and some properties are joined in twos or even threes so what happens then?

Jo Smith ● 6447d

I suggest you contact Thames Water if you think a meter is being installed without your permission.See: http://tinyurl.com/2qrfkrMeters are normally installed in the pavement outside your property on the incoming water pipe. In certain cases internal meters are installed. I've found that metering encourages one to be economical with water thereby ending up with a smaller bill than the flat rate.JL

Jim Linwood ● 6447d

Domestic water meters are inside your house - so that you can see what your consumption is.

Vanessa Smith ● 6447d