Meter access charges
As we aim to minimise our tariffs, and do not want to increase costs for all customers, we have had to take the decision to put in place two additional charges for occasions where we incur costs above the level allowed for in the tariff.
- Customer denied access charge: where we attend your premises to read a meter, but you do not permit us to do so, there will be a charge of £40.
- Maintaining meter access charge: where we are required to carry out unusual maintenance tasks to successfully read a meter, such as pruning hedges or removing a build-up of mud, there will be a charge of £60.
We aim to take a meter reading from all our customers at least once annually, and in most cases twice a year. Unfortunately, in some cases we are unable to take a meter reading when we attend customer premises which results in us incurring significant costs.
It is important to note that,
- these charges are set at a level to recover our own costs. The cost allowance we receive for reading customer meters only covers reading a meter without any additional work
- we are charged additional costs by the Market Operator if we fail to take a meter reading as scheduled.
How to avoid meter access charges
- Maintain a clear area around your meter, with ideally two feet (minimum one foot) of clearance around the edge of the pit to allow ease of access for our meter readers
- Conduct regular checks to ensure your meter remains in a condition that it could be easily read by our meter readers
- Appoint key staff members that are authorised to grant our meter readers access to your premises and meter
- Submit monthly meter readings on MyAccount so we always have an up-to-date meter reading for your account
Manage everything on MyAccount
Can't find your water meter?
Use the interactive map on MyAccount to find your water meter. You can also check your account balance, view and download invoices, submit meter readings, and more.
Take control of your account
You may already know about our Customer in Control Plan. With the Customer in Control Plan you pay for your water services as you use them, meaning you'll never pay in advance, and with e-billing there’s no more paper bills. We will still aim to read your meter at least once annually.