U.K. Woman Unknowingly Paid Neighbor’s Water Bill for 16 Years

A British woman is suing her water company after discovering she had been paying her neighbor’s bill for 16 years, the Daily Mail reported.

Jean Shaw’s bill was so high, her family would bathe in the same four inches of water to save money, the Mail reports. They also rationed toilet flushing and put bricks in the water tank to decrease the water flow.

“For 16 years we would only do one clothes wash a week,” shaw told the Mail.

Originally attributing the expensive water bills to her children, she realized something was wrong when her children moved out and her bill was $285. The water company performed tests and Shaw broke down in tears when they discovered she had been connected to her neighbor’s meter for the past 16 years, the Mail Online reports.

With no reading on her household, the company doesn’t know how much Shaw has overpaid. They offered her $231 in compensation, but she is seeking $15,637 for money lost and mental strain, reports the Mail Online.

Click here to read more on this story from the Mail Online.