Southern Water advice please

[ness]

Hi

The majority of the area I live in was fitted with water meters about 10 years ago. I bought my present house 5 years ago and a meter was not fitted. I have recently received letters from SW wanting access to my house to assess to fit one and they were wanting me to contact them to arrange. I emailed them explaining I work full time Mon - Fri 8am till 5pm and they replied that the only appts they do were between 8.30 am till 5pm Mon - Fri, I again explained that I was at work and they replied that I would be classed at refusing them access and would be billed a standard £ 800 per year....( which is more than double I pay now) I again rang them yesterday on arriving home from work after finding a letter through my door ( hand delivered) stating that I was not home when they called and if I did not allow access I would be charged the £800. On ringing I explained that I work, that I do not get paid if I don't work and, that I am not refusing them access, the call operator could only suggest that I take time off and if I don't then he couldn't help me....I have 4 weeks according to the letter or my bills will be amended......Is this legal? are they allowed to charge this figure? I feel they are not being reasonable at all.....They will not bend a little with their appts to accommodate the fact that I work but I am expected to take time off and lose money to accommodate them.....Your thoughts are welcome

[des8]

Re: Southern Water advice please

Have they explained how they calculate the assessed charge?
It should IMO be on a reasonable basis, and not a figure plucked out of the air as a penalty and encouragement for you to take time off work.

Do you know if Southern Water have government authority to meter compulsorily?
If not your charges should remain unchanged.
You should be able to check on line with SW if you are in an area subject to compulsory metering.

There's a lot more info here; https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/mediacentre...1117meters.pdf
If you still have problems ask OFWAT if they can intervene.

[ness]

Re: Southern Water advice please

Many thanks for your reply.......I will look into the info you have given me.......All they have explained is that their charge is a fixed fee for households that "refuse access".....bully tactics I am assuming, unfortunately not all of us are in jobs that we can just take an hour off here and there......thank you for the pointers....I will get looking

[ostell]

Re: Southern Water advice please

Perhaps another letter, signed for, specifically stating that you are not, as they are intimating, refusing access, but they are free to access your property at any time except for the following time: and then list the times you are at work.

You could suggest that you are willing to provide access during your working time but you will expect them to make good the loss that you are suffering.

Just showing that you are not being unreasonable

[ness]

Re: Southern Water advice please

Thank you again for your reply.....I have trawled through SW website, Consumer Council for Water and OFWAT and there appears to be no government compulsory metering at all, SW also appear to have been throwing the £800 fee at other people for the last year.
I will write to SW first, their website says it is committed to customer service ( bit of a joke really) with the suggestions above and go from there.