COUNCILS throughout East Lancashire are backing High Court action to stop smart cards to pay for water being introduced into homes.

The case to prevent water companies installing cut-off meters at the houses of poor payers is seen by the councils as a watershed stand against the worst excesses of privatisation.

Councils like Lancashire county have combined to challenge what they see as a direct attack on the public health of the poorest members of society.

Simply put, the smart cards will mean householders will pay in advance for water and the arrears they have accumulated. If they don't pay, they will get no water.

Councils, such as Burnley, Blackburn and Pendle, are supporting the county challenge and claim the meters break the consumer protection laws.

They say that by forcing the poorest users to effectively cut themselves off, they are by-passing the Water Industry Act and avoiding the requirement for the company to seek often lengthy and embarrassing county court action to have customers disconnected.

They say the devices block social services powers to prevent cut-offs at the homes of the most needy; increases costs because of additional service charges and acts as silent punishment because cases of self-disconnection, the numbers involved and the hardship caused, will, in no way be recorded.

Local councils are also challenging the right of water companies to install meters at local authority-owned houses.

Burnley has told North West Water not to go anywhere near the 5,500 homes it owns with the meters and is giving cash backing to the fight.

Councils point to official figures voluntarily given by one water company which show that in its area there were 2,051 self disconnections. In the same period there were just 147 statutory cut-offs using the present system.

The conglomerate of councils, which has received legal advice stating the meters contravened the law, will formally announce its legal case on April 24, with the first court hearing expected about a fortnight later.

The main collective action will be against water regulator Ofwat, which has rejected the councils' case, while each authority's grievance about the installation of the devices will be directed against the local water company.

North West Water says: "Our relationship is with the customers who live in the property not the owner.

"All machines are offered on a voluntary basis and it is surely up to them whether they have one or not." Blackburn council spokesman, Coun Michael Barret says the plan would affect the most vulnerable.

"It is just plain wrong on health, moral and ethical grounds," he added.

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