Decision report 201101838

Summary
Ms C complained, on behalf of clients, about Business Stream Ltd's decision to refuse to allow them a smaller, 20 millimetre, water meter. Ms C complained that the decision was unreasonable and claimed that a 20 millimetre water water meter would be more suitable for the site's consumption. She provided figures to support this, and evidence showing that this would reduce her client's fixed water charges by over £2,000 a year.

Water bills are affected by the size of the water meter. You can apply to have a water meter changed if you believe your water meter is larger than necessary. Scottish Water own the water meters, and where Business Stream receives a request to downsize them, they refer it to Scottish Water for consideration. The customer is asked to complete and submit a loading unit assessment sheet confirming their usage. This sheet is then reviewed by Scottish Water who will make the final decision on it. If the completed sheet concludes that a smaller meter is appropriate, the customer is asked to pay the cost to change the meter.
In this case, Scottish Water told Business Stream that meter sizing is determined based on both consumption and estimated peak demand. They said that it would be technically possible to install a 20 millimetre meter, but that the information Ms C had provided indicated that the meter would be undersized for the demand at the property. They said a 20 millimetre meter would reduce the accuracy of recorded consumption and increase wear on the meter.

We are not an appeal body for the decisions of organisations. We can check a decision is properly made and will look at the process and procedures involved. If we find that something's gone wrong, we can make recommendations. In this case, our investigation found that the decision was properly made and followed the proper procedures. We did not uphold the complaint.