Dear LPG,

I live in Brockley and, as I often don’t read all the small print when it comes through the front door, I found out from a friend that water metres are now compulsory and have been since early 2016.   He phoned me and told me that he returned home one day in October 2016 to find a note which informed him that they had installed one for him while he was away. Apparently, Thames water has the right to fit them in areas where summer water-shortages are experienced during the dry parts of the year, and many areas in the Borough of Lewisham qualify.

In the not too distant past, when the word Smart Metre was first introduced to us, I am sure that I read, with interest, that utility companies were being forced to offer them but that we consumers did not have to accept them, but for all that, I was looking forward to having mine installed and paying less for my water. I live alone now and my bill has not gone down since the rest of the family left home.

Then the day came and the blue card from the water board arrived but mine said that I could not have a water metre.  When I phone to enquire why I was to be passed by, I was told that I live in a flat and it is often the case that because I share a house and some water pipes I have been designated as having “Insufficient exposed pipework”.  In other words, the water board say that they would not be able to guarantee that I was not paying for some or all of my neighbours supply.

They have offered me a Discount tariff but for all the hype, now that I actually want a water metre I can’t have one.

PC, New Cross