Get a rebate on your sewerage rates charges

I pressed my complaint with the following amail and got it all back.

11 May 07

'Thank you for your letter regarding the Surface Water Drainage rebate for my house.

I would like to make it clear that I am not unhappy with the fact that the rebate has been applied from July 2006, but I was unhappy that my requests for the rebate application form did not result in the form being seen here, and that it takes 2 emails to elicit a human reply from Thames Water. This comes after my original request for water meter was lost in the Thames Water administrative system and I had to re-apply. It was only the fact that I intimated that I would complain that precipitated the rebate being awarded. That is what I am unhappy about!

It may be that this is a deliberate policy to dissuade people from pressing their application for a rebate; I would like to think not.

My case for having the rebate backdated to 1 Apr 00 is based on the fact that even though I had not made the rebate claim on paper (because the form never arrived), Thames Water admitted on the telephone, and by implication (because the rebate was awarded without my evidence being provided), that the fact that I was due a rebate was well known to Thames Water!

My case is clear, Thames water knew I was due a rebate but never awarded it and chose to continue to charge me for a service that Thames Water knew I was not receiving i.e. surface water drainage between 1 Apr 00 and 2007 when my original enquiry was made.

It would not be a great step to make the connection that Thames Water is knowingly charging many unwitting customers for a service they are not receiving, thereby swelling the profits of the company and the director's bonuses.

This is my position.

Would you please credit my account with the rebate due as soon as possible?

If I do not receive confirmation of rebate from you in 7 days I will take further steps to recover the rebate for the period 1 Apr 00 to Jul 06.'

I had a call from customer services last week and they confirmed that a backdated rebate would apper on my next bill.

David Ball

I tried to apply but was told I'd need a surveyor to say where our drain goes - the house is a 1980's and I guess it goes to a soakaway but I can't be sure. Severn Trent were sure it went into their sewers though and wanted a full sketch of the soakaway etc.

It would help if there was a guide to this effect

Great,
That is the first case I have ever heard of. I have brought it to the attention of Martin(I hope) - well I sent feedback.

You may be interested to know that companies are allowed to charge for this service even where a connection does not exist (shocking I know ). It has been tested in Court (Yorkshire Water v Mr John Hall) and the company won.

All companies are supposed to provide information on the rebate in their billing literature, so that apparently excuses them from being more proactive.

And lastly, yes if you are in a flat on the ground floor, you still have to pay this charge. You are deemed as benefitting from the SWD of the building as a whole.

Here's what Ofwat has to say:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/surface_water_drain.doc/$FILE/surface_water_drain.doc

Note that the regulator has decided that rebates will not be retrospective.