Affinity Water - meter now activated conundrum

[Gremmy]

Evening brains trust, this might be a long read!

I’m hoping to get a little bit of constructive feedback to this one. I’m in the high 90%’s that I’ve figured out what’s happening, but not entirely sure how to approach Affinity Water with my findings.

I live in North Surrey, Egham and we had a water meter compulsory fitted c.2 1/2 years back as we are classified as a drought risk area (I forget the precise terminology they used, but something to this effect)
We had been given a period to become accustomed to the meter before it was switched on, while still paying a flat rate.

All the information about our usage was sent over every six months or so, with the onus on moving over to metered water earlier if we wanted to.
I didn’t pay any particular attention to any of it as was happy with my flat rate.

Now we’ve had the metered billing initiated I’d started to flap a bit!

The meter is reading that my consumption is about 600 litres per day, which they equate to £77 per month in water and waste water.

Poppy cock, there’s no way a 2 bedroom house with two adults and a four year old are using this much water.

My usage quick maths (all high estimates per day)

Toilet flush = 8L (x10 per day)
Dishwasher = 40L
Washing machine = 40L
Washing hands and dishes = 20L
Shower = 50L

= 230L

Further investigation required - I shut off the stop cock located in an inspection pit outside my property boundary in the pavement. All water shut off to my house, nothing coming through the taps.

Here’s a photo of the two inspection pits (ignore the third metal cover, my son found it further down the road and insisted on putting in in the photo…)




Here’s a photo of meter reading.



I went out for six hours and returned to this reading.



That 0.31 cubic meters of water that have gone through my meter in six hours while supply shut off to my house.

This is a sketch of what I think is happening.




The subcontractors that installed the water meters to our street, added a new inspection pit into my neighbours driveway, within their property boundary. They installed my meter in place of their former stockcock so my meter has their meter backed onto it and is purely connected to their supply.

On looking at my garden, it has always been rather green and lush even during this and former heatwaves when my back garden has always gone yellow.

I lifted my neighbours new inspection pit and it is submerged in water.

The blocked paving has also sunk quite a bit, due to subsidence, or the leak washing away soil..

(I’ll attach these pics in next addition as reached file capacity)

 

[Gremmy]

This is a photo of my neighbours inspection pit, nicely sunken.


And the leakage within.




I’ve written to Affinity via their online form saying I think there is an issue with my meter but have not received a response in the time they suggested they would respond.

I haven’t shared any of my findings and am reluctant to as I know I’ll more than likely be fobbed off about leaks on my side of supply to house, which I think isn’t possible in this situation.

I’m not particularly experienced in these things and get very frustrated having to try and speak to someone/many people in large organisations that don’t understand what I’m saying or how to take notes on my account so the next person to look can try and make head or tail…

Essentially I want to immediately stop my direct debit and inform them of this due to a metering issue. £924 per year for water is insane. I’m not even in my house for about two months a year as we go abroad to visit my wife’s in laws.

What’s the best way to go about this based on the information I’ve given? I’d be really appreciate if someone has had similar issues with utilities companies and how to deal with them?

Sam.

 

[spb]

When you talk to them, I'd leave out the theorising and stick to the absolutely concrete.

• You shut off the stopcock so that no water was flowing to your house, and your meter showed 310l of usage over six hours, with the stopcock closed.
• Your meter and stopcock are <distance> apart and you do not believe that a leak between them could have shed that much water without being noticed at ground level.
• Therefore you believe your meter must be supplying something that is not your property, and they need to investigate.

Leave out the theories of supplying someone else's house - let them come to that conclusion themselves when they send someone out to look. Their engineer's report will carry a lot more weight than, as far they're concerned, a customer who doesn't want to pay the bill.

Keep everything in writing. Water companies operated under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, which puts pretty strict limits on the time they have to make a substantive reply to a written query or complaint. Keep copies of all communication, so that if they don't sort it out to your satisfaction you can paint a complete picture of the process if you need to escalate. That said, no need to go in guns blazing from the beginning. Give them a chance to sort it, but be prepared for the chance that they won't.

 

[Gremmy]

Wowsers,
Many thanks for the swift succinct response spb!

Your reply has certainly given me some confidence on how to approach this situation while letting them do all the work. I’ll have a proper digest tomorrow of the Guaranteed Standards Scheme before I communicate any further with Affinity.

Best

Sam.

 

[Artiglio]

600L a day is a huge consumption for a relatively small property/ household and in itself should have triggered some sort of action from the water Co. ( even if just a letter saying that your consumption is above average).
As above, just contact the waterboard and keep it to the bare minimum. You feel that the metred useage is far too high and could they check. Ideally you’ll be there on day the inspector comes, that’s your chance to have some input if they don’t pick up on any issues.
As for your actual interaction with the waterboard, if they use a call centre ( especially an overseas one)and you don’t feel you’re getting anywhere, just terminate the call and try again, eventually you’ll find a call handler that is well trained / experienced / competent. Once you’ve made your enquiry to them ask for the account notes to be read back to you, to avoid confusion.

 

[Windows]

Since what you’re referring to as the stopcock is in the street and not on your property, it’s presumably owned & maintained by the water company (?) and in your communication with them, you might want to call it “the outside stop valve”.

Is there definitely no stop valve integrated with the meter itself?

Presumably your neighbours are also going to report a leak in the water company owned pipes that’s affecting their property?

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

The submerged meter? I had one too and the board worker who turned up to suss it cleared it in 5 seconds flat. Crow bar, quick rummage in the gravel around the meter, bingo, draining water. Apparently, the "medium consolidates over winter"

600 litres per diem? Is Tiny Tim a lodger in your house?

Sam

 

[Phil Pascoe]

How old is the house? Quite often terraced and semi detatched houses were plumbed internally in pairs - when there was no metering or water rates it made no difference. Just a thought.

 

[Duncan A]

Close off the stopcock in your house and see what happens after a few hours. That should be pretty conclusive.

Another thought - see if your neighbour's meter shows the same consumption as yours over a period of time.

Duncan

 

[Spectric]

Looking at your sketch it clearly shows that



is supplying



and you don't have any water meter, just a stop cock so I assume a drawing error !

 

[SimonB]

If not already I would also check that your bill is for your meter - should have the meter number on it. We had our neighbours until the first bill, which like yours, was unexpectedly high and I went and checked.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Looking at your sketch it clearly shows that

View attachment 33364

is supplying

View attachment 33365

and you don't have any water meter, just a stop cock so I assume a drawing error !

Look again, he says that when the meter went in it looks like it's been put on the main to the neighbours house and not his. He knows it's his meter, just thinks it's no inline with his stopcock.

 

[Bod1]

@Gremmy
I assume when you shut the pavement stopcock, you did check the house had no running water? (leastways at the kitchen cold tap)
I always refused an outside meter, as I knew 3 houses shared "my" street stopcock. An internal meter was fitted without problems.

Bod1

 

[Lurker]

In your communications I’d avoid talking to them on the telephone ( as has been said you might need a documented audit trail). You could make out both adults are hard of hearing or something.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yeah ............ I hate computers but I love emails.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Preferably when your neighbour is out (for clarity, not stealth !), can't you just observe the meter with nothing going on in your house, compared to a tap or two fully open ? If it makes no difference, the meter isn't metering your supply.

Edited to add: that's a different meter to mine, but mine has a little dial with a reflective marker on it; you can detect even small leaks if you watch it for a minute or two.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Preferably when your neighbour is out (for clarity, not stealth !), can't you just observe the meter with nothing going on in your house, compared to a tap or two fully open ? If it makes no difference, the meter isn't metering your supply.

Edited to add: that's a different meter to mine, but mine has a little dial with a reflective marker on it; you can detect even small leaks if you watch it for a minute or two.

He's already said that he turned off the stop tap to his house and left it with nobody home, and still the meter showed 600L of usage. I think he's already proved there's an issue.