Meter series; two, the water meter
An odd letter appeared in the mail , two very brief paragraphs:
I refer to your recent enquiry to South East Water regarding your account for the above property.
My what? I’ve no idea what they’re on about, the other paragraph merely asks me to telephone between 1 pm and 5.30 pm Monday to Friday. Unless….
Of course, how stupid of me! My recent enquiry was the telephone call I made to South East Water in , six months ago reporting that I thought the water meter was faulty!
I rang and was told “we have tried to contact you”, when I asked how and when, they changed the subject. I asked again, and was ignored. Apparently I have to make an appointment with the meter replacement crew since it was reported that “access is difficult”. No idea what that is for since the meter is a metre from the footpath, and anyone except the fattest of aussie tradesmen should be able to walk between the car and the fence. Then I asked if it was likely that I would have to move the car so that they could jackhammer the old meter out of the driveway, that was when the problem started … you see it’s forbidden by law to concrete it in, apparently, so along with all the other idiot things that happened to the house before we bought it, concreting the meter in was one of them.
I am now expected to un-concrete the meter and then arrange an appointment with the meter replacement crew. When I asked “how” I was told it’s not their problem….
So I get to jack-hammer a water meter out of a concrete slab, and if I break the water pipes I get to pay for the damages and for the emergency call out, not to mention paying for the jack-hammer!
Last week the gas meter was replaced, this week they want to do the water meter, maybe next week we’ll get the trifecta and the electricity company will call….
