What will happen if I use a hose to water my garden during the hosepipe ban? Could I really be penalised and if so what’s the worst that could happen? Will I only be found out if my neighbour reports me or are there other ways that the Government or water suppliers can check?
D.L., By email.
Dean Dunham replies: The important point to note is that hosepipe bans are legally enforceable and violating a ban can land you with a fine of up to £1,000.
In practice, most water companies will initially issue a warning accompanied by what they call an educational document about hosepipe bans before proceeding to issue a fine.
In the worst-case scenario, where there are persistent or deliberate breaches, you can find yourself receiving a court summons to attend before the criminal courts to face criminal charges.
While neighbours can report violations of a ban, this is not the only way water companies can detect them.
Water companies can monitor water usage patterns and identify unusual spikes that could indicate a breach.
They will often deploy field staff to patrol and monitor areas during periods of a hosepipe ban.
What will happen to me if I use a hose to water my garden during the hosepipe ban?
So it is important to observe a hosepipe ban, but it’s also worth considering what you can still do when one is in force.
Let me start by dispelling a myth – if a hosepipe ban is in place it does not mean you cannot water your garden, wash your car or carry out other similar tasks. Instead, it simply means that you cannot carry out these activities using a ‘hosepipe’ – so filling up a watering can or bucket, from a tap, will navigate you safely around the ban.
There will also always be some exemptions to a hosepipe ban, such as for health and safety reasons or for certain commercial uses.
You should therefore check with your local water company for specific details.
I purchased a used car that came with a one-year warranty. An issue has arisen with the engine management system, but the garage says I’m now not covered as the warranty has expired. What can I do?
S.L. By email.
Dean Dunham replies: This is what I call the ‘warranty myth’, where consumers are led to believe that their rights expire at the end of the warranty period.
Thankfully, it’s just not true. The only effect the expiry of the warranty period has on consumers is that it means you can no longer demand that the manufacturer or warranty provider fixes the issue under the warranty.
However, this really does not matter as the Consumer Rights Act protects you for at least six years from the date of purchase and despite what some traders believe (or lead consumers to believe).
This law is not trumped by any terms or conditions the trader imposes nor any warranty. Under the Consumer Rights Act, if there is a fault with goods (including a vehicle) at the point of purchase, the consumer will potentially be eligible for a free remedy.
To be eligible, the fault must not have been caused by you and must not be attributable to ‘fair wear and tear’ – which is measured on a case-by-case basis depending upon the type and quality of the goods.
When you reach the six-month stage from the date of purchase, as you have here, the burden of proof shifts to you as the consumer.
This means you have to prove that the car is faulty and that it is not something you caused by misuse.
In practice, this means getting an expert third party to look at the vehicle and to give you a written opinion.
If that opinion backs up your position, you can demand that the garage repairs the vehicle free of charge.
