Our water company claims that we have consumed 183,000 gallons in one quarter. Only two of us, no leak, no swimming pool, no sprinkler, and no unusual consumption. Our average consumption has been around 12,000 gallons per quarter for the last 10 years. Can the meter spike for some reason? The meter reading was 444,000 last quarter and 629,000 this quarter. Somehow the meter has spiked. I do not know how that could happen.

Have you asked them to come and change out your meter?

Yes they came out and replaced the meter. They said that the meter will be checked out in the lab.

If the meter is older than say 5 years then the meter went bad. Whatever you do don't take the old meter back if you see the new meter "behaves" and not gives you such outlandish readings. I had an electric meter that got "fried" during an electrical storm and they gave me a new meter while my old meter was being tested. Odd, but my new meter actually read less in the several years I've had it now than the old meter ever did. Meters do go bad whether they are electric or water. My neighbor waited too long to get his electric meter replaced that was damaged in the same storm that mine was and would have to pay the $100 charge. He chose not to pay the $100 and kept having outrageous electric bills. He never was too smart to begin with. Now he pays an average of $75 to $100 more a month...

Where they working off the actually digits on the meter or do you have a remote reader?

Remote reader

However, there numbers matched actual meter readout

The new meter is reading correctly. They took the meter away for lab test. Could they fix it before testing? I will be there when they test it.

Has there been any work done in your neighborhood on the watrer or sewer lines? Air spins a meter just as water does, any air in your lines