Hi All, just looking for some advice!
Sogedo installed a new “smart” water meter at our property last January.
We our second home owners who spend April to October en France.
We had no knowledge of them installing the meter, it’s located inside a fenced piece of land with a locked gate? We weren’t there at the time but back in Blighty.
Can they do this legally? They would’ve had to climb over our gate/fence to install it?
Coincidentally, we now have a major external leak which led to a huge bill from them. We have someone coming to search for the leak and just wonder where we stand in terms of recouping anything back for the wasted water?
Thanks all
Logically - not that logic ever applies - I would think that if you could show the leak was as a direct result of installing the new meter you should be able to claim it’s their liability.
Otherwise I’m afraid you are responsible for any loss on your side of the meter.
When we were not present in France they could/would not install our new meter inside our garden so I wonder about their access rights, 3 times they could have fitted a new meter but declined as we were not there.
OTOH they came into my garden, dog a hole and put a non-return valve in and would have moved the meter there except they couldn’t access the house to remove it from the cellar.
My new smart meter is in the pavement of the street along with all the others. So far no problems, am actually in credit to Véolia but anyone changing now or having new build are obliged to have these. As said before, any leaks your side of the meter is down to you to sort out and proove/repair/claim on insurance. Watch out for dripping outside taps too, I had one that was hidden whilst we did works on the old place and for a year it was dripping only slightly but I ended up with a bill for six months at over €500 and could not claim anything as on my side ofthe meter!
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Yes just like so many services in France different areas seem to have a different interpretation of guidelines.
We’ll have to wait and see what NicoleS finds out regarding allowing access and where exactly the leak is. Although your side of the meter is mentioned, if they had to disturb that (likely) and no one was present to be able to check for leaks later (including a return visit by the water conpany) then NicoleS couldnt be held responsible for the leak. If the leak is elsewhere then thats different but should the water company have touched it without NicoleS being present, personally as the water company could have no idea if NicoleS was carrying out a replumbing job indoors, they could have caused a serious flood. If they replaced the meter they should have left the supply turned off at the valves in which case no leak would have occured. It sounds as if the water company are to blame. BIL had something similar and it took a couple of years of wrangling before the water company accepted liability and quashed the bill.
I would think a claim against the water company only really feasible if the leak was immediately client side of the meter due to the (re)installation itself - which is what happened to me (except that it was supply side of the meter which was still in the cellar so tant pis as far as I was concerned; they came and fixed it no bother).
I suppose the other possibility would be if they moved the old meter and caused a leak there - but I suspect they’d still try to wriggle out of that one.
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That is absolutely correct. In our previous house, the water meter installed by the water company developed a leak. Unfortunately, the leak was on the consumer side of their meter. We ended up with a bill of nearly €1000 and when we pointed out it was entirely their installation was at fault we got the usual Gallic shrug.
What action did you take following their shrug?
If NicoleS had left their property with the water valved off, then that should be how the water company should have left it. We need the details so wont comment further until we have them.
Agree, if there was an external stopcock which was off when the work started, you’d hope that it would have been left off when the work was finished.
Even if the leak is on ‘your’ side of the meter it can still be worth looking up “loi Warsmann” to see if it can help reduce your liability.
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excellent link… cheers !!!
Well I asked for some legal advice (we get a first free visit to an avocat) I was told I had a “reasonable case”. Having witnessed friends experiences in the French legal system, I decided that, even if I won financially it was not worth the time and stress involved, so I just gave my own Gallic shrug and did nothing. At my end of life, time is precious.
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such horror stories of leaks… got me shuddering.
I’m busy wandering around my newly-rediscovered SAUR site… and noticed this amongst their suggestions in the Section “Soyez éco-responsable”
they suggest reading the water meter regularly…
something we’d not thought of doing… but will do from now on, for 2 reasons… to feel good when we hopefully note that the meter isn’t showing much usage… and also to confirm there is NO leak…
Surveillez régulièrement votre compteur d’eau pour détecter les éventuelles fuites d’eau dans votre maison. Elles peuvent représenter jusqu’à 20 % de votre consommation. Un mince filet d’eau représente 15 litres par heure ! (sans compter les dommages à vos équipements ou votre logement !)
Just watching the dials on the meter when this are turned off inside would show any leaks up, especially the little sweep hand dial.
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I reckon most folk don’t keep an eye on their meter… certainly OH is not keen to get down on his knees and forage in the grass for our one… 
I’ll be asking the young lad next door to help us with that manoeuvre …
Are they not all set in those chambers looking like an old UK cold water tank?
I usually take a photo on my phone and zoom in. Or the magnifier app.
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Yep, same here.
I also take care lifting up the lid to the regard, to make sure there’s no snake waiting to greet me 
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Not here… ours is small and oval, set into the ground… where the grass/wildflowers are taking it in their stride… and hiding it
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