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Bizarre water bill

(4 Posts)
Whethertomorrow Mon 04-Dec-23 12:27:36

My water is metered and the water board read it twice a year from the meter outside my home which is set in the pavement. I’ve never read it.

This morning I get my water bill which has been estimated. They happily tell me that they’ve estimated I’ve used more water than normal so they’re putting my bill up by 33.3% if my maths is correct.

I can update my meter readings on gas and electric if I need to but opening a water meter when I’m disabled is beyond me.

I presume they couldn’t get anyone to read the meter. I bet this will go on as a good excuse to raise money.

Has anyone else had an estimated bill?

Cabbie21 Mon 04-Dec-23 13:12:49

Yes. Same here. Not by 33.3% but more than enough. Though to be fair, the connecting cable from the meter inside the house to wherever it is read outside has been inadvertently severed by a grandson who kindly trimmed the ivy. So an estimate is fair, except that now I am on my own, my usage has decreased!

Suki70 Mon 04-Dec-23 13:28:57

Yes, last year, a jump from £140 to £210 . I rang them and queried why an estimated bill - they had already taken the amount on direct debit. I was told I must have been out when the meter reader called . Silence at the other end when I said the meter was on the pavement so completely accessible and the man agreed to send out a meter reader. I refused to have any overpayment deducted from the next bill and insisted it was refunded. £70 subsequently appeared in my bank account.

Primrose53 Mon 04-Dec-23 14:18:10

We have a house we rent out for holidays. We received the water bill for it the other day. The actual water used was about £19 but all the add ons etc brought it up to £69. I think that’s shocking.