Advice needed

A question about : Advice needed

Moved into this property in September last year. It had been vacant for 2 months so I called SSW to tell them the date that we had moved in so we could have an accurate bill and not be billed for before we had moved in.

Got a letter sent to my previous address to say that they had read the meter for my new house, but had the wrong house number on the letter! Called them to let them know their error, they said they would send someone out to read the meter at the correct address. I've just found out that this was never done. The last actual reading was in July 2013, 2 months before we moved in.

I can't read my own meter, it is outside the front of my property, but is about 6ft down into the hole. I've no idea how the meter staff read it, as I have no chance.

We live in a 2 bed semi, two adults, one toddler. Usage as follows:

- 4 baths per week
- 14 showers per week (3-5 mins long)
- Toilet flushed 6 times per day
- 4 loads of washing per week (on a short cycle to save water!)
- No dishwasher, but I wash up once every day.
- No garden hose use/sprinkler use.

We have been paying Ј35 per month, but have had a bill this morning saying that is being hiked to Ј79 per month

Called and told them of my usage and they said that I would have to do an overnight check (i.e. turn off my stopcock, check the meter before bed, then check it again in the morning) to check for a leak. Problem is, I can't read my flippin' meter!

There is just no way I can afford Ј79 per month and it just doesn't sound right. Is there any possible way that this monthly bill could be right?

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EDIT: It gets better. My bill and the lady I spoke to at South Staffs reckon my meter was read on 4th August 2014. I've just been out and realised that when our paths were replaced in June, they left tarmac all over the edges of both mine and my neighbours water meter cover, leaving them sealed shut, so how was this 'actual' meter reading obtained?

Best answers:

• The Ј79 a month will almost certainly not reflect your monthly usage.
  If Ј35 monthly was insufficient, a debit balance will have built up and the Ј79 will be to cover actual usage and repay the debit balance.
  Unless you know your actual meter reading when you became responsible for the property(which might not be the same date as when you moved in) it is also entirely possible that you could be paying for a previous occupant's water consumption.
  South Staffs water charges are shown in this link.
  https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/...eme2014-15.pdf
  For 3 people the average consumption would be 165 cubic metres p.a.
  So an average bill would be around Ј380 pa - Ј440 if you pay surface water drainage.
• Thanks Cardew, sorry, yes, I left that out - Ј79 would be to cover actual usage and repay the debit balance. The lady on the phone said that usage alone would be calculated at Ј48 per month, which she admitted was high for our circumstances.
  On the last point, is there any other way that the meters can be read without physically seeing them (i.e. by an electronic transmitter thingy?)
• Yes some water meters can be read remotely.
  Are you charged for Surface water Drainage(SWD)? If so can you claim relief from that payment?
• We have been charged for SWD, a cost of Ј63.20 per year. I don't think we'd qualify for a rebate unfortunately. Our rainwater drains into the public sewer.
• Hi Piggywinkle - not sure if you've sorted this or not but I work for another water company... The automated meter readers usually store data on each month of usage; in short at the end of each month the reading is recorded and saved to allow the company to detect leaks, estimate bills etc. This means that your start read (or there abouts depending on the date you moved in) would be stored on the meter. My company reads meters 2x a year and downloads the prev 6 months usage when we do this - so the data isn't always available when you move in. However if they've had a read in Aug of this year they should be able to check by now the reading as it was last July. I'd ask them to double check your start read is correct as I have come across high bills before where the start read had been under estimated and can only be adjusted once the data is back. At least then that rules out paying the previous occs usage. Hope this helps
• I dont know if you have moved from a different water board's area but don't forget that SWW is very high compared to other water boards. I have a household of two people most of the year and pay Ј40 a month and I would say we are not high users of water,
• OP is with SSW (South Staffs Water); you are referring to SWW (South West Water), which is indeed the most expensive in the UK.
• Thanks, better get to Specs@vers hadn't I?