Can (should?) I have the water turned OFF?

A question about : Can (should?) I have the water turned OFF?

Hellooo

I live in a big house, (rented from my dad) - I live in the upper flat of the house, and rent the lower flat from him as storage for my work. (two water rates, two council taxes)

We already pay the usual water rates for the upper flat we live in.

but the lower flat, we NEVER use the water at all, but are still having to pay the usual water rates.

Am I allowed to ask to have the lower flat water turned off?

Surely, as it is not being used AT ALL paying usual water rates is not fair?

ALSO - I have enquired in the past about a water meter (for upper and lower flat) But we were told that we have the kind of pipes or drainage (or something?) that cannot HAVE a water meter.

Any suggestions or ideas I would be really grateful, it seems mad to be paying for water on the lower flat when not a drop is used.

Best answers:

• If the lower flat is used as a workplace, isn't it a legal requirement to provide toilet and washing facilities? And for that, you require water.
• No its not used for work, its used only for storage - for my work.
• If you are unable to have meters I thought they had to lower the cost of the water rates to roughly what you would have paid if you had a meter?
  They have done this for the people in the high rise flats nearby that can't have water meters and it's made a massive difference to their bills.
• Yes you can have water cut off and pay no charges at all. People do it for unoccupied houses.
  It would be unusual to have two separate water supplies to what was originally a single house; when converted they might have a shared main water supply. That is possibly why meters couldn't be fitted.
  So obviously ensure that the water company cutting the water off downstairs doesn't affect you upstairs.
• be careful if you ask for it to be cut off it will be disconnected at the mains, only way to get it back is to apply for a new connection which will mean relaying a new pipe up to today's regulations and paying the connection fee which could be Ј1k or more depending on where the main is