Thames Water Essential Work in the area..

[worldwiser]

You're overpaying by quite some margin Calsug. We have a similar house and pay about 30.

[Sue]

Calsug, that sounds a lot to me.

There is an online calculator you can fill in to assess whether you would be better off with a meter.

I found Thames Water very helpful. There was no pressure (no pun intended :) )

[Calsug]

damn okay thats annoying! Will take a look on their website

[Siduhe]

Calsug Wrote:

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> So you find it cheaper with a meter?

>

> We pay ?55 per month for water, 3 bedroom house

> with one bathroom and no meter. I don't know if

> thats good or bad?!

We have a house with two bathrooms but only two regular occupants - we pay ?22.00 per month based on our meter readings. Our usage is at the low end for two people according to Thames Water but ?55.00 sounds a lot even if you have young children (which we don't).

[Calsug]

Just did the online calculator that Sue suggested, seems we are paying about double the amount we should!

EDIT - just checked my total bill and its about ?450 as I pay by 8 installments.

[Sue]

Calsug Wrote:

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> Just did the online calculator that Sue suggested,

> seems we are paying about double the amount we

> should!

I will only charge you a small consultancy fee :)) :)) :))

ETA: The actual installation of my meter all went very smoothly with good communication, and as it is outside the house on the pavement, there was very little disruption.

And an added advantage is that I no longer have to go down in my coalhole to reach the stopcock, as the water is now turned off (if necessary) outside at the meter.

So I have been able to put a chest freezer over the trap door (under the stairs) to the coalhole, in the knowledge that it's unlikely I will have to move it to get down there.

Win-Win :)

[DulwichFox]

When I lived on Dunstans rd 80s-90s it was in a house converted to 2 flats.

I lived in the downstairs flat. I enquired about having a water meter fitted.

I was quoted just under ?2,000. I estimated at the time it would take 10-15 years to re-coop that amount of money.

I have just paid my Water Bill ?385.26 (for the whole year) ?1.05 per day.

I do not think a water meter would be cheaper for me.

DulwichFox

[rendelharris]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> When I lived on Dunstans rd 80s-90s it was in a

> house converted to 2 flats.

> I lived in the downstairs flat. I enquired about

> having a water meter fitted.

> I was quoted just under ?2,000. I estimated at

> the time it would take 10-15 years to re-coop that

> amount of money.

>

> I have just paid my Water Bill ?385.26 (for the

> whole year) ?1.05 per day.

> I do not think a water meter would be cheaper for

> me.

>

> DulwichFox

Not sure where anyone would have got that figure from, but anyway, Thames Water will now fit a water meter for you free of charge and usually they don't even have to come onto your property.

[DulwichFox]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > When I lived on Dunstans rd 80s-90s it was in a

> > house converted to 2 flats.

> > I lived in the downstairs flat. I enquired

> about

> > having a water meter fitted.

> > I was quoted just under ?2,000. I estimated at

> > the time it would take 10-15 years to re-coop

> that

> > amount of money.

> >

> > I have just paid my Water Bill ?385.26 (for

> the

> > whole year) ?1.05 per day.

> > I do not think a water meter would be cheaper

> for

> > me.

> >

> > DulwichFox

>

> Not sure where anyone would have got that figure

> from, but anyway, Thames Water will now fit a

> water meter for you free of charge and usually

> they don't even have to come onto your property.

The problem was it was a House with 2 flats and only one water feed.

A separate feed would have to be made into the house to my flat to be able to fit a meter.

The shared water feed would of had to be altered. and th path to the house dug up and made good.

I realise it would be simpler in my current situation but at ?1.05 a day, I'm happy.

Foxy.

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> I realise it would be simpler in my current

> situation but at ?1.05 a day, I'm happy.

>

Dulwich Fox, it takes a very short time to instal the meter, it is free in your current situation, and you would probably halve your water bills.

It may not sound much a day, but it mounts up over a year and beyond.

I am saving a thousand pounds over five years.

If that makes no difference to you, then lucky you! It's making a lot of difference to me.

[Sue]

I have just called Thames Water to find out when the work originally scheduled for 22 and 28 February in Ulverscroft Road is likely now to be done.

They said that so far as they can see, with everything else that has been going on (obviously there have been more pressing things for them to address over the past week with the snow etc) the work in Ulverscroft Road has not yet been rescheduled.

They can't presently see anything "on the system", however they are going to call me back within 24 hours to update me on the situation.

The poor woman I spoke to (who was very helpful but had to get the actual info from another department) had been called in from the billing department to help on the phone lines, which indicates the amount of calls they are getting at the moment.

I felt a bit bad for adding to them, but having had large pots of water sitting about my kitchen for over a week, being gradually used up and then refilled, I'd quite like to know when I'm actually going to possibly need them, grammar :)

[DulwichFox]

The water is again coming up through the Post Office Telephones footway box. ie BT.

Perhaps a call to BT. might speed things up. Their cables are being damaged by water and BT will have more clout

to get this sorted.

Foxy

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> The water is again coming up through the Post

> Office Telephones footway box. ie BT.

>

> Perhaps a call to BT. might speed things up.

> Their cables are being damaged by water and BT

> will have more clout

> to get this sorted.

>

So are you going to call BT? And have you reported the water leak to Thames Water?

I don't think it's about "clout".

It's about Thames Water's priorities during a very busy period. A large number of their customers in South London were unexpectedly without water for a considerable length of time, and had to collect bottled water, in some cases from a long distance away.

I imagine that they want to deal with sorting the aftermath of all that first, particularly since it was something of a customer relations disaster, if what I have read is true.

They don't have unlimited resources, and will have to direct them towards what they see as the most important work. I doubt Ulverscroft Road is it, as this was pre-planned work.

We were very lucky not to be amongst those who were without water last week.

[Sue]

Right hands and left hands.

I have just received a letter dated 1 March saying that there will be essential work "in my area" on Monday 12 March.

As it has the same reference number as one of the other two letters (the one referring to work on 22 February) I presume this is the postponed work.

They haven't phoned me yet ..... but the 24 hours is not up ..... :)

Update: They haven't phoned me at all. Just checked my phone - no missed calls.

Perhaps they found out the letter had been sent (seven days in the post? I don't think so).

[DulwichFox]

Helen Hayes Labour Speaking in the house if Commons on Thames Water and Southwark

DulwichFox

[James Barber]

Attached is the presentation slides Thames Water talked from at Wednesday Dulwich Community Council.

Bit generic. The speaker mentioned Lordship lane has severn different water mains. From the biggest trunk 18" diameter to several 5 & 6" local mains. So those repeated failures are of different main pipes each time.

That this June/July Thames Water will decide which portions of these to replace/renew in the Autumn and presumably rationalise with modern plastic pipes.

The why do pipes burst he gave the following details I noted:

1. Age of pipes - Victorian!

2. Cast pipes some were relatively poorly cast compared to the spec.

3. Joints

4. Load on top - vehicles are now heavier I guess

5. Valve failure

6. Pressure to get water up hills.

That last week the temperature change was 15 degrees C and that the cast iron and all the above issues are stressed with rapid changes.

Other factor he talked about was the sudden failures mean they were losing 500 Million (I think gallons) per day more than usual. So the local holding reservoirs empties which then led to air locks in the system. So they've been fixing leaks ut also flushing out air leaks.

Interesting talk.

I ask why my street name and post code wasn't present in their systems when my home had no water.

If anyone else experienced this problem please let me know so we can get this fixed for everyone.

...And I have his name, number and email for future problems...

[Sue]

That's interesting, thanks James.

[DulwichFox]

Thames Water turned up this morning 09.00am .. Dug a hole and then left

No sign of anyone on site since.

On the positive side, we still have water.

DulwichFox