'Massive' rise in water bills after meter switch

Residents in a Devon town have complained of being hit by "massive" rises in their water bills after smart meters were installed at their homes.

Some South Molton residents said they were not given any notice by South West Water (SWW) their meters would be replaced, meaning they were unable to take a reading before it was swapped out.

One resident said she was billed £3020 despite only paying about £50 a month, while others said they were told there must be water leak when they complained.

SWW said it was upgrading meters in north Devon as part of an environmental scheme, but it was unable to "discuss individual customer accounts or their details".

Dave Winter, who lives in South Molton, said he was not aware his water meter was going to be replaced.

He said his latest bill came to £260 despite normally paying about £40.

"We're always very careful with water," he said.

“We put enough in the kettle to make a cup of tea, we don't leave the taps running.

"We're very careful with the water, the trouble is South West Water are not."

He said the bill was eventually reduced to £64 after his wife complained to the firm.

Other residents in the South Molton area also contacted the BBC reporting similar problems.

After doing a routine check of her online accounts, Maddy Tyler discovered her SWW account had been billed £3020.

"I pay £50.50 by standing order every month, I've never missed a payment," she said.

"My husband and I are retired pensioners, we don't have excessive use of water at all, we're very thrifty.

"I immediately went onto their WhatsApp line and said why is my bill £3020, it's ridiculous."

Ms Tyler said an agent told her she would need to provide a new meter reading to "verify the mistake".

She said: "The agent came back and said, 'Oh that is a mistake, in fact your payments a month should be £37.50'.

"I really am glad I checked, I wouldn't have had that sort of money to pay it to begin with, but it's the principle that some people might and they're just sending in direct debits for whatever amount South West Water might say.

"I feel for some people that might not even know this has gone on."

Rachel, who did not want to give her surname, said her meter was changed "without her knowledge" resulting in a "massive bill of over £1000".

"In the end I phoned and straight away, the agent put the bill on hold and was arranging to get the meter checked for a leak," she said.

"Three weeks later, this still hasn't been done.

"The meter readings that were on my bill were exactly the same as my neighbours for the old meter and new, none of it makes sense."

She said the "massive bill" had made her "extremely anxious".

"We struggle to get by as it is," she said.

SWW said it "can't discuss individual customer accounts or their details", but added: "We will always respond directly to anyone who has concerns about a bill so that we can help resolve their query."

It said it was changing and upgrading meters in north Devon as part of its Green Recovery Programme, which is aimed at "improving public health, protecting the environment, and addressing climate change".

SWW said the process involved sending correspondence before any meters were exchanged.

The firm said a final meter read would be taken during the exchange to update the customer's account, with a new meter installed starting on 0.

It said installing smart meters was aimed at helping customers manage their water use and bills more easily.