A Kent man was stunned to discover his water meter had recorded him using enough water in 24 hours to fill 300 baths, leaving him with a bill of £7,000. Mick Foy, 64, a construction industry worker from Ditton, Kent, said the meter showed more than a million litres used in under a month, sparking a dispute with his supplier, South East Water.
Foy, who lives with his wife Debbie in a three-bedroom property, was first alerted to the issue when he received a call from South East Water, which told him his usage had spiked dramatically. The company described the usage as 'totally out of the ordinary,' according to Foy. He said his bills had been consistent for years, and the sudden spike was 'off the scale.'
Meter Spinning 'in a Complete Frenzy'
When Foy asked the company when the spike began, he was told it could have started any time in the six months leading up to July. He said: 'I asked the lady on the switchboard when it started, and she said it could be any time in the six months leading up to July. I thought, “well, that’s not very helpful.”'
South East Water froze the bill and promised to send a plumber by August 4. Unable to wait, Foy checked the meter himself and found it 'spinning around like there’s no tomorrow. It was just going into a complete frenzy. It’s just been in complete freefall.'
Foy, whose son works for South East Water, took a reading and returned the next day to find the meter had recorded 54,000 litres of use in just 24 hours—equivalent to about 300 baths. When the company's plumber failed to show on August 4, Foy said he grew 'frustrated.'
More Than 6,700 Baths in Three Weeks
'There’s nowhere that sort of water could come out of here in a private residence,' Foy said. 'I’m thinking, a plumber, are you for real? I’m telling you, there’s no water anywhere.'
Between July 24 and August 13, Foy recorded a meter change of 1,212,428 litres—enough to fill more than 6,700 baths. He said the situation didn't faze him as much as it did his wife, who lost sleep over the first night. 'You’ve got to wait for the powers that be. But it does faze you a little bit,' he added.
MP Involved as Company Reschedules Visit
South East Water has rescheduled the plumber's visit and says a supervisor will oversee the work, but Foy said this isn't good enough. His MP, Helen Grant, has contacted South East Water to ask the firm to investigate his concerns and 'treat them with the urgency they deserve.'
The water company said it would not comment on individual cases but would be 'very happy to escalate the customer’s concerns internally as a matter of urgency.' The bill remains frozen while the investigation continues.
