Water is supplied in accordance with our statutory obligations, and these are the main terms of supply for metered customers.

We own the meter and we will be responsible for maintaining and replacing it when necessary. Only our employees or agents are authorised to remove or replace the meter. If you damage the meter you will have to pay the repair or replacement costs including the costs of visiting and administration. We will be responsible for maintaining the meter box only where it is acting as our company stop tap box.

You will be responsible for all water recorded by the meter. If at any time it is found that the meter has not registered the amount of water consumed, we will agree an estimate of your consumption for the period since the last reading and charge accordingly.

The position of the meter does not affect your responsibility for your private supply pipe. Our responsibility for pipework normally ends at the property/ highway boundary. If your meter box is fitted inside the boundary of your property and is not acting as our company stop tap box, you will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the meter box.

You are legally required to allow any authorised Bristol Water employee or agent access to read, test or exchange the meter. You must ensure that the meter remains fully accessible if it is fitted on your property.

If the meter is fitted inside your property and you do not reply to our request for access to the meter, we reserve the right to estimate your account based on previous consumption.

DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS
In most cases, fitting a meter will be free unless:
• It is necessary to separate your supply pipes where they are shared with other customers
• It is necessary to install additional meters because you are served by more than one supply (a second meter may be fitted free of charge provided this does not incur disproportionate costs).
• Substantial alterations to existing plumbing or building are required to ensure the meter can be fitted.

In these cases you will need to make the alterations yourself to enable a meter to be fitted free. We will provide a specification for the meter fitting position. You can also ask us to fit a meter in an alternative location. Individual quotations will be provided which will include an allowance equal to the price of providing the free meter option in our preferred position.

Where you fail to complete all the necessary works within 3 months of the application, the application will be cancelled and a fresh application will need to be made when the works are ready. In the very few cases where it will not be possible to fit meters at all or the necessary alterations could be unduly expensive, you will then have a choice of:
• Remaining on rateable value charges
• Moving to an assessed charge calculated as follows:-

Assessed charges for households for 2010/11 are £87 for the first bedroom plus £35 for each subsequent bedroom up to a maximum of 6 bedrooms plus a standing charge of £33.

In cases of multi occupancy buildings e.g. a block of flats where the flats cannot be individually metered, we will be prepared to consider a single meter which will be the responsibility of one individual or management company acceptable to Bristol Water. Responsibility for dividing up the bill rests with the occupiers. In the event of non-payment the agreement will be void and all flats will revert to rateable value charging, retrospectively for the period equivalent to the outstanding debt.

In cases where multiple dwellings such as blocks of flats or caravan sites are already supplied through a single meter, the right for individual units to opt for a meter is not available. If an individually metered account is required, the owner or tenant should contact the person responsible for paying the metered account. OFWAT produces a leaflet ‘A Guide to Water Resale’, which can help explain the process.

NON-DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS
In a few cases, it will not be possible to fit meters at all, and in these cases the following assessed charges will apply:

Assessed charges for non-households for 2010/11 are:
•Where water is not used in a production process a banded charge of £42 per subsequent band will be levied. Bands will consist of up to 5 employees. In addition a standing charge of £33 will be made.
• Where water is used as part of a production process, we will undertake a site survey during which evidence of process consumption must be provided by the applicant. We will then make an individual assessment. These assessed charges would cease on change of occupier although the new occupier will be given the opportunity to have a revised assessment. Assessed charges will apply from the date of the survey.