New Water Meter - 50kl Interim!!!

Just read someone else who had their meter replaced had a similar experience, is the municipality indirectly trying to get us to pay for their equipment??? Just got a ludicrous utilities bill with a 50kl interim water 'reading'!!! We never use anything near that amount, we don't even fill our pool anymore and we catch laundry water for the plants! I saw the water meter reader this month too, so there is no excuse for it!