Why did it take SIX YEARS to spot Margaret was paying for her neighbour’s water?

MARGARET HALLAM has used a water meter ever since she moved into her West London home in 1999. It had been installed at the two-bedroom home in Isleworth by the previous owner.

Margaret was not troubled by it because she lived alone, so in theory it should save her money.

Initially, the 72-year- old paid bills of around £85 every six months to Thames Water but in 2010 she received one for £110. The following year, the bills rose again, and again in 2012.

Every year they went up, Margaret called Thames Water to query it but all it said to her was that if she wanted to pay less, she would have to use less water. Someone came to read the meter but confirmed her bill was correct.

Desperate to reduce her costs, she stopped flushing the toilet so regularly, she wouldn’t let her two grandchildren shower at her house and at one point she washed each day at her daughter’s home a few streets away.

Then came a real shock — a £249.95 bill last April.

She delved into the fine detail. Water use is measured in cubic metres. Margaret typically used 29 every six months, but despite all her cutbacks she was apparently now using 42, which is what you would expect a family to use.

Margaret says: ‘I just do not understand it. I had been trying so hard to save water. It has been so stressful having to think how much you are using all the time. I didn’t know what else I could do.’

By now worried that there was a leak, Margaret turned off the stopcock supplying water to her home and went to watch her water meter. It was still moving and kept on moving.

This time Thames Water sent an engineer. There was no leak but there was a problem: Margaret’s water meter was actually connected to her next door neighbour’s pipe and she had been paying for their water since 2009.

The engineer could not fix the issue that day but Margaret was told that someone would be in touch and the problem sorted.

Two weeks later, a letter arrived telling Margaret that she still owed £249.95.

Margaret says: ‘I had tried calling Thames Water and was only ever told the person dealing with it would call me back but I never heard anything.

‘I cannot believe I tried so hard to save water all that time. And now we finally find out what is wrong, they will not help me to fix it.’ Typically there are two ways of paying f or your water. You can pay a fixed sum billed every quarter, or you can pay for every drop you use by having a meter installed. This latter option is usually cheaper for anyone who is living on their own; the general rule is, if you have more bedrooms in your house than people living there, then you will be better off with a meter. Once you have a meter installed you can opt out of being charged on it within 12 months of it being fitted, or within one month of your second metered bill (whichever is the later date).

Your account will be changed back to the standard charge from the date that you change your mind. However, if you move out of your property, the new owner will be charged via the meter and will not be able to have it removed.

Finally, Margaret contacted Money Mail and now Thames Water has agreed to refund her £1,034. It said that routine work in the street in 2009 had led to her meter being switched and attached to the wrong pipe.

A Thames Water spokesman says: ‘We are extremely sorry for the inadequate service Ms Hallam has received from us.

‘We are doing our best to put this r i ght and have r efi t t ed t he meter and issued a refund for all money overpaid.

‘A bouquet of flowers is also on its way.

‘Also, while we refunded the customer for the water paid relating to the neighbour’s property, we also refunded her for her own water used during that period.

‘The only payments she will now have been charged for are the fixed charges that come with a metered account.’