TW meter reading chappie was around the other day, claimed we had no meter. Walked over to black cover thingie, up it comes, nowt inside. Hmm. We've had metered water since we've been here (Feb 99). Got an "estimated" bill today. Now, earlier this year some (proper, official looking) chaps came round and "moved" the two meter things for us and next door, killing half of next door's hedge in the process. What are the odds of TW claiming that it's my problem[1] and not theirs? I shall find out tomorrow. [1] I can't see it being mine, as both meter things are in next door's garden. -- | ___ Salad Dodger |/ \ _/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CB1300SA-9/CBX1000Z _\_____/_| .106850../..08850.../..32457. (>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG* |__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5 \ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4 \|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11 '^' RBR Clues: 20 Pts:325 Miles:1100
Not sure if I mentioned this here at the time. I came back from 2-1/2 weeks at CERN on a Thurs last year, and put the washing on as I went to work on the Friday. Very puzzled that it wasn't done when I came back home. Looking at all sorts of electrical problems until I thought to turn on the kitchen tap -- no mains water! (Everything else in the house takes its cold water from the loft tank, as does the hot water system.) Cue much wandering around checking with the neighbours if they had water. All did, except the people in the other half of my duplex weren't in -- found out from one of the other neighbours that they were on holiday. Saturday called Three Valleys Water and after various checks they agreed to send an engineer around. Turned out to be less than an hour as one had been just finishing up a call in Slough. "Where's your stop-cock?" "No idea. When the mains burst under my garden a few years ago the engineer thought I might get my water via next door." Wandered into next-door's garden; sharp-eyed engineer spots a water meter hidden under a ceramic frog sculture. Long story short, next door had had a water meter installed, and decided to turn their water off at the meter before they went on holidays. Unfortunately, my water did come through their property, downstream of the meter and stopcock! The meter should never have been installed, according to the rules. Don't know if they ever got any money back from TVW after being charged for my usage as well as theirs, they never came around to apologise. -- Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration, Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005 WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon) KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".
We had a meter installed just before we moved into our house - apparently when there is a change of ownership they can force this on you without the option. The bills were a bit suspicious considering we don't have a swimming pool. Eventually whilst digging foundations our groundwork contractors discovered that the water company had introduced a leak just after the meter whilst installing it. Luckily we had intended to replace the rising main anyway. I doubt we'll see any of that money back though.
