moved house

A question about : moved house

Hi, we moved house this weekend and were told by the seller on the TA10 or Ta6 form or whatever it was that there was no meter installed.

Now that we have exchanged, completed and moved in we have found a water meter in the kitchen

It was an old lady that lived here before but she has passed away, do we have any chance of getting the meter removed?

The estimates on the seven trent web site look like double what we were expecting to pay as we are a young family of four

thanks,
worto.

Best answers:

• You can't get it switched back - you'll have to stop squandering water and learn to pay your fair share now.
  Maybe just top the pool up twice a year.
• It is possible that although a meter was installed, the previous occupant wasn't paying charges based on metered consumption. That is because it is possible for an occupant to have a meter fitted and revert back to charges based on Rateable Value within 12 months; however subsequent occupants will pay charges based on metered consumption - as indeed everyone should!!
  You might have some case against the old owner's solicitor if they provided incorrect information - speak to your solicitor.
• Thanks for the reply Cardew, that's what I thought, I don't want to go down the solicitor route though.
  It wouldn't have stopped us buying the house anyway and I think that the seller may not have known about the meter as it was her mothers house and she had never lived here herself.
  Just something we need to get used to I guess.
  Cheers,
  worto.
• Whether she had a meter or not has no bearing on you. All houses automatically have a meter installed when there is a change of occupant. So no matter where you moved, if the property wasnt on a meter, one would be installed as soon as you notified the water company you had moved in
• Have you rung the water company to ask them how your water rates are calculated? And then asked them what their policy is about how you can be charged in the future.
  Many internal water meters are no longer used and are now situated in the stop tap o/s the property. However the old meters are sometimes left in situ rather than disturb the plumbing
• The rainfall may be free. But much of our water comes from abstraction-and neither the storage, purification or supply are without cost.
• Five years ago I was paying over Ј40 a month for water. I moved in 2009 to a property with a water meter and I am now paying just under Ј23.
  I wish I'd had one fitted years ago at the old address which was just down the road.