Support and frequently asked questions

A meter reading is the figure you read off your own meter and send to us: it takes 2 minutes. Write down the numbers you see on the dial. Then send them to us, following the instructions in the meter reading section of the residents area.

Send it when we ask you for it with a reading notice, or whenever you want a bill based on what you have really used.

If we do not receive a reading, the bill is worked out on estimated use: a forecast based on what you used in the past.

Then, at the first real reading, the estimated-reading adjustment arrives: the difference between the estimate and the real figure, which you either owe or get back. Sending us the reading saves you surprises.

Take care not to mix it up with the building balancing charge: that is a different item, and it concerns the whole building. We explain it further down this page and in the glossary.

A change of account holder moves the account from one name to another, for example when you buy a home or take over a rented one. The contract changes name; the meter stays the same.

Ask for the change of account holder form on the forms page, where it is called Voltura: you receive it by email. The form is in Italian only: call or write to us and we will help you fill it in. Complete it with the meter reading at the time of the handover and send it to us. If anything is unclear, get in touch.

With a direct debit your bills are taken from your bank account automatically: no more due dates to remember.

You need the activation form, filled in and signed, the IBAN of your bank account and the account holder's identity document. The form is on the forms page.

Do the meter test straight away: turn off every tap in the home, including the ones for the washing machine and the dishwasher, and look at the meter. If the numbers or the little wheel keep turning, there is a leak.

If that happens, call a plumber to repair it and let us know: the sooner it is dealt with, the less water ends up on your bill.

The building receives one single bill from the water utility, based on the main meter. We read the meters of the individual homes and split that cost in proportion to what each home has really used: this is cost allocation.

That way everyone pays their own share, not an average. Where it applies, we also use per-person charging, which goes by how many people live in the home.

The building receives one single bill from the water utility, worked out from the main meter of the building. We read the individual meters of each home and split that cost between the account holders. The two totals almost never match to the cent: that difference is the building balancing charge.

It is not an arbitrary charge, and it is not an extra item. It is the part of the building's bill that the meters of the individual homes do not attribute to anyone. It still has to be covered, because it is exactly what is needed to pay in full for the water service of the whole building.

There are three reasons for the difference:

• Shared uses: the water used for the building itself, which no home meter records.
• The tolerance of the meters: every measuring device has an allowed margin of error. On a single meter it is negligible, but added up over dozens of homes it becomes visible.
• Different periods and different ways of counting: the water utility reads and bills on a different timetable from ours, and on one figure for the whole building. We work it out precisely, home by home.

As a rule we split it in proportion to what each home has used. That is the most consistent rule when there is no specific reason that explains the difference. The building manager can ask us in writing to change that at any time. It is then split equally between the account holders, or charged in a single bill to the manager or to the owners of the building.

The balancing charge can be a charge or a refund. When the amounts billed to the individual homes come to more than what is owed to the water utility, the difference comes back. If a figure does not add up for you, get in touch and we will go through it with you.

A heat cost allocator is the small electronic device fitted to each radiator. It measures how much heat that radiator gives off, so the heating cost of the building is split according to what each home has really used.

Current models are read from a distance, with no appointment at home. You will find the full definition in the glossary, and the whole picture on the heating in your building page.

Your building manager. We prepare the statement by putting together the readings from the devices and the cost figures the building gives us. Then we hand it to the building manager. It is the manager who passes it on to the residents and asks for each share, along with the other building expenses.

So you do not get a heating bill from L.I.R.A. If you also have your water with us, that is a different thing and arrives separately. Every step is explained on the heating in your building page.

Because the cost is split in two parts. One depends on what you use, measured by the devices. The other is the same for every home. It covers the heat the shared system gives off anyway: the boiler kept up to temperature, the pipes running through the building. That heat is produced even with your radiators turned off, so a share is still due.

The balance between the two parts changes from building to building: the figures for yours are written on the statement. You will find the explanation with a worked example in why you pay with the radiators off.

Just call us directly on 051 226693: we check what it is and tell you who has to deal with it, so you do not go round in circles. We answer the phone in Italian. In the meantime, do not remove the device and do not open it. It is sealed, and the figure it records is used to work out the cost for the whole building.

Tell us as well if you have replaced or moved a radiator, because the device has to be mapped again. One distinction worth knowing: the boiler, the thermostatic valves and radiators that do not heat up are the job of whoever maintains the system, not ours. The details are in if the device shows an error.

We prepare it once the heating season is over, when the building has sent us the cost figures. From then on, getting it to the residents is up to the building manager. The manager decides when to hand it out and how to ask for each share.

So if you are waiting for the statement, the person to contact is the manager of your building.

Not us. The rates of the water service follow the rules of ARERA, the national authority that regulates energy, networks and the environment, and they are set locally.

L.I.R.A. reads the meters and splits the cost between the homes, applying the rates in force. If an item on your bill does not add up, just ask us.

The ways you can pay are shown on the bill itself, together with the due date.

The easiest one is direct debit: the amount is taken from your account automatically, with no queues and nothing to forget. The form to set it up is on the forms page.

Tell us: where per-person charging applies, the water share depends on how many people live in the home, so the change makes a difference to your bill.

Ask for the change in household size form on the forms page, where it is called Variazione componenti familiari and is in Italian only. Fill it in and send it to us as soon as you can.

Money sometimes has to go back to someone who is not the account holder on the bill, for example after a change of account holder. In that case, ask for the refund to someone else form on the forms page, where it is called Rimborso a terzi. That form is in Italian only. Fill it in and send it to us with the proof of payment.

For any other kind of refund call us on 051 226693, where we answer in Italian, or write to info@lirabo.com. We will get back to you and take it from there.

You can reach us by phone on 051 226693, Monday to Friday 8:30 – 12:30 and Monday to Thursday 14:30 – 17:00. We answer the phone in Italian, but you are welcome to write to us in English.

You can write to us at info@lirabo.com, or come to our office at Via Guglielmo Marconi 2 in Bologna: Monday and Wednesday 8:30 – 12:00, Thursday 14:00 – 16:00. Every way to reach us is on the contact page.