Enforced water metering and legal rights?

[joyous77]

I have owned my house for 20 years, we receive unmetered water from Anglian (who are a dreadful company) - our area is now being forced to have water meters installed although we can choose not to use the meter and remain on the current tarriffs. What I want to know is - what is a householders legal position - do I have to allow them access to fit this meter, as far as I am concerned it is the thin edge of the wedge - once installed, in a few years time, everyone will be paying on meters and the OFWAT set charges will then be revised and increase. So - even though I am 'green' what are my rights - can I stop them forcibly fitting this meter on my property? I would appreciate the legal side, not the 'you will save money'. Many Thanks.

[jackthehat]

I think that even *if* you manage to successfully stand your ground now, you will find that there will be legislation in place soon enough to force you to comply.
The end-game is certainly a 'pay-for-what-you-use'.

http://www.yourrights.../water-companies.html

[Kayless]

The water meter will be installed where the main stop cock is and that's usually just off the property concerned anyway. Mine is just outside the front gate. For what it's worth though I had a water meter installed and my bill went down by 40%.

[factor-fiction]

You may want to read this thread from a couple of months ago.

[ethandron]

our water meter is fitted in the pavement, not on our property and we didn't have to allow anyone access. best thing we ever did actually, we save hundreds of pounds each year because we have one.

[Old_Geezer]

I sympathise. I think it is another example of how we are all forced to accept that which we find unacceptable by the powers that be.

Yes of course bills initially go down to encourage folk to have them and think they're great, any difference in income can be loaded on those more socially minded. But the game changes when everyone or almost everyone has them installed.

As for the initial questions, I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable in legal matters, but I'd suspect the answer is that you are one of the common masses and thus have no rights you can use. You will do as you are told.

[factor-fiction]

Sorry, i meant to add this thread:
http://www.theanswerb.../Question1063305.html

[redcrx]

i think if you request a meter that you can ask to go back to rates within 6 months. Why not try it and see if it makes a difference.

[chas2008]

I have had a meter for over 12+ years, im with Anglian,from the day they started fitting them people were talking about enforcing there use and upping the price etc. After 12 years it hasnt happened yet,i think its the usual scaremongering..
I chose to use it, as said the meter is outside of the property.
I also know of people who have requested meters to find out they had already been one fitted without there knowledge.

[ojread2]

Water meter's are installed outside of a property, you have no option as they do not need access to your home

You used to be able to go back to your old tariff but that wont be the case now as meters are to be enforced for everyone

You should be better off with a meter unless you live in a particularly cheap area for water rates

[maclarencat]

Can I just say not all water meters are outside the property.Our is in our front hall!! It had been installed when we moved in and is hideous as you could see it sticking out of the wall. I rang and asked if it could be moved and was told that it is fitted at the nearest point of entry to your house and as we have a shared supply with our neighbour then the nearest point is just inside our hall. We have now had a cupboard built around it and I am no longer seething but everyone here seems to be saying they are always off your property and they are not but I cannot help with wether they could legally gain access to fit one.

[LCDMAN]

My water meter is also inside my property. The pavement stop-cock isolates both me and my neighbour on a shared supply so it would be no good placed out there, it would register both our usage! Fortunately my supply comes in via my attached garage so the meter is placed in there, just after my own internal stop-cock. It's a wireless meter so they can read it via a wireless reader from out in the street.

Best thing I ever did - it was costing over £470 a year for "water rates" on the old "rateable value" system. As it is, we are paying less than £18 a month on the meter! The rule of thumb is that if there are less people in the household than there are bedrooms in the house then you will probably make a huge saving.

You can try it for 12 months and then go back to the old rateable value system if you really want to, what have you got to loose?

[LCDMAN]

Forgot to add, it is already the case that water meters will be compulsorily fitted in a property upon change of owner (as well as to all new builds) and most water companies have plans to ultimately make all users to move to meters so you aren't alone with Anglian doing this. In this respect you have bugger-all rights I'm afraid as this Government (and it's predecessor) supports the change to metered water billing for dwellings.

I don't understand your issue with this to be honest, why should it be any different to to any other utility in this respect? Pay for what you actually use and not some notional idea of "bigger house = more water". This gives you the chance to control your water costs and not some faceless beaurocrat in the council.

[Postdog]

I've seen a lot of comments about water meters always being installed outside - not true. I enquired with Thames water once, and when they did the survey they said it could only go inside, and that would be using some of the space I needed for the washer. I chose not to go ahead.

[hellywelly4]

Anglia are NOT a dreadful company - I had a burst pipe outside in the bad weather this time last year that I wasn't aware of, and when my bill came it was awful. I rang them and explained about the burst pipe and they wiped off all the extra charge. I was delighted with their service.
I've also had a water meter for as long as I've lived here (8 years) and pay £18 a month. I think they are great and do make you think about wasting water.

[ojread2]

you learn something new every day =)

[cathfromsaron]

to be mean they can probably 'meter' you at the road end of the pipe, and not access your property at all!

they will then impose this meter when/if you sell!

[EDDIE51]

All properties have to have water meters installed if they are sold or relet .
It is part of the program to make people more aware of what they use.
The house next door to me has just been sold and a meter fitted. The new owner says he is paying less than £10 a month on the meter while I pay £9.86 a week on water rates. They are terraced houses and next door has 3 occupants as we do. The meter is outside on the pavement no access to the house needed or asked for.

[old-wos-is-name]

If there are only one or two people living in a property, then a meter will probably save money. if the property is not on a meter, and is a very large, say 5 bedroom house, then the water charge will be related to the rateable value, which will be high.

[sherrardk]

You've just reminded me, there is something around that if you have young children (don't know how many you need to qualify and are on certain benefits you can get your water bills reduced/capped.

[EDDIE51]

Just to add , you have no choice, as soon as a house is sold or let to a new tenant the water company have to fit a meter . If , as in some houses it is nessesary to get inside to fit the meter the water company can refuse the supply and can cut off the water if they can not get permission to enter. This is rarely nessesary as most houses have water meters outside the property boundary and they just turn up and fit them.