busker

Water Bills

One pleasing prospect of my Euro-jaunt will be returning after more than a month overseas to a costlier water bill than if we'd spent the entire Xmas under the shower.

Things were fine around here 'til they fitted gizmos to our water meters and told us we'd be billed by a mob called Minol.

Their dealings were dodgy from the start: asked to be home to let the rep in, I waited a whole Saturday with no sign of anyone, nor a follow-up apology.

• Real Change had their number.
• Student Voice rumbled their little RUBS ploy.
  
• Erica Barnett didn't mince words in The Stranger, which resonated with Wilhelm Dingler (5th letter down)
• Bettina Brown wasn't happy.
• The P-I smelled a rat
• Even championed our case

Not that I needed the 4th Estate to tell me what I was about to find out for myself: all it needed was a 3-week vacation in Greece for a bill to arrive for that precise period, gauging more water usage for the 21 days than when taps were actually in use.

Let us see what Santa and his elves can flush and gush during the rest of 2004 and into the glorious new year.