Help needed with water bill in Normandy
Feb 25th 2020, 8:45 am
#1
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Help needed with water bill in Normandy
Hi. I’m looking for help for some neighbours of ours living near Domfront.
It appears they have had a water leak, water they had thought was coming off the surrounding fields, from the water meter. The local farmer called the water company and the leak was quickly fixed within the hour. However our friends have been billed €800 for water over the last 6 months. They have written to say they won’t and can’t pay this but to no avail. The leak was on the customer side of the meter. Our friends feel the leak was from the meter it’s self.
what ever side the leak is on they are not able to pay. Is there a support group I can direct them to. Unfortunately they don’t speak french.
It appears they have had a water leak, water they had thought was coming off the surrounding fields, from the water meter. The local farmer called the water company and the leak was quickly fixed within the hour. However our friends have been billed €800 for water over the last 6 months. They have written to say they won’t and can’t pay this but to no avail. The leak was on the customer side of the meter. Our friends feel the leak was from the meter it’s self.
what ever side the leak is on they are not able to pay. Is there a support group I can direct them to. Unfortunately they don’t speak french.
Feb 25th 2020, 8:48 am
#2
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Re: Help needed.
Hi. I’m looking for help for some neighbours of ours living near Domfront.
It appears they have had a water leak, water they had thought was coming off the surrounding fields, from the water meter. The local farmer called the water company and the leak was quickly fixed within the hour. However our friends have been billed €800 for water over the last 6 months. They have written to say they won’t and can’t pay this but to no avail. The leak was on the customer side of the meter. Our friends feel the leak was from the meter it’s self.
what ever side the leak is on they are not able to pay. Is there a support group I can direct them to. Unfortunately they don’t speak french.
It appears they have had a water leak, water they had thought was coming off the surrounding fields, from the water meter. The local farmer called the water company and the leak was quickly fixed within the hour. However our friends have been billed €800 for water over the last 6 months. They have written to say they won’t and can’t pay this but to no avail. The leak was on the customer side of the meter. Our friends feel the leak was from the meter it’s self.
what ever side the leak is on they are not able to pay. Is there a support group I can direct them to. Unfortunately they don’t speak french.
The Welcome Inn is just a place to say hello and introduce yourself, if you can let me know where Domfront is, I can move your thread to the relevant forum so the good folks there can help them. Is it in France?
Feb 25th 2020, 8:56 am
#3
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Re: Help needed.
Domfront is a small town in the Orne, Normandy France
Feb 25th 2020, 9:00 am
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Feb 25th 2020, 9:33 am
#5
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Re: Help needed with water bill in Normandy
Hi - welcome to the forum
If you speak French then this article gives more information:
Who pays for a water leak
It says that it is meter that is the difference between the water company pipes and the owner's pipes.
It also says that in the case of such a leak then the bill should not exceed double the average bill over the previous 3 years.
It is also the responsibility of the water company to notify you if there is an abnormal change in your pattern of consumption.
Your friends should ask for assistance from the maire or a neighbour and have copies of their water bills for the last 3 years.
HTH
If you speak French then this article gives more information:
Who pays for a water leak
It says that it is meter that is the difference between the water company pipes and the owner's pipes.
It also says that in the case of such a leak then the bill should not exceed double the average bill over the previous 3 years.
It is also the responsibility of the water company to notify you if there is an abnormal change in your pattern of consumption.
Your friends should ask for assistance from the maire or a neighbour and have copies of their water bills for the last 3 years.
HTH
Feb 25th 2020, 10:32 am
#6
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Re: Help needed with water bill in Normandy
They should also check their household insurance to see if they are covered for such an event
Feb 26th 2020, 8:20 am
#7
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Re: Help needed with water bill in Normandy
If the water company is aware there has been a leak, then as cyrian says they're limited by law how much they can charge the customer, basically no more than double the monthly amount.
Was it the water company themselves that came out and repaired the leak? If so, clearly they are aware.
That being the case, is your friend sure that the bill doesn't include the cost of repair? Have they paid for that separately?
If it wasn't the water company that did the repair, they usually need you to send them a copy of the repair invoice.
With respect, writing to say you are not going to pay your bill is not the most diplomatic approach is it. Is that what they would do in the UK? A better approach is to let the company know that there is a problem, explain your side of the situation, and ask them politely what their procedure is for resolving it. It's not about what your friends can and will pay, it's about cooperating with the company to sort it out and send them a bill for the right amount..
Was it the water company themselves that came out and repaired the leak? If so, clearly they are aware.
That being the case, is your friend sure that the bill doesn't include the cost of repair? Have they paid for that separately?
If it wasn't the water company that did the repair, they usually need you to send them a copy of the repair invoice.
With respect, writing to say you are not going to pay your bill is not the most diplomatic approach is it. Is that what they would do in the UK? A better approach is to let the company know that there is a problem, explain your side of the situation, and ask them politely what their procedure is for resolving it. It's not about what your friends can and will pay, it's about cooperating with the company to sort it out and send them a bill for the right amount..
