We used to pay £400 but we suspect the cause is a recently installed smart meter
We are being pursued by Thames Water over a £1,000 bill which it alleges has accrued in six months. We suspect its recently installed smart meter is at fault, but three recorded-delivery letters and 10 phone calls later, I’ve been unable to get sensible answers. It began with a letter warning us that we were consuming 328 litres an hour, which would cost £5,970 a year. In the 10 years my family of three has lived in the house, annual bills have been about £400. Thames Water agreed to send an inspector who was unable to find a leak inside the property, but who nonetheless left a card stating that the meter indicated a leak.
I hired a leak specialist through Thames Water’s list of recommended plumbers, who concluded there was no leak and questioned whether the meter was to blame. I sent this to Thames Water, but a bill for £1,016 was the only response. Customer services said the meter would be investigated. Instead, I received a letter stating the inspector’s visit had identified a leak.