What happens if you don't pay your water bill?

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  • starlite_2
    starlite_2 Posts: 2,428 Forumite
    Thats not true..it's illegal to turn off water supply to an inhabited property..and there are many procedures they have to go through to legally do it.
    Membre Of Teh Misspleing Culb
  • lapat
    lapat Posts: 816 Forumite
    starlite

    please believe me when i tell you that there is a legal loophole that allows them to treat the property as empty.
    they have no one on there billing register and also they are getting no reply from letters that are sent to the property weeks before the procedure i have mentioned above.
    there not saying that is habited there treating it as a property that is empty due to lack of response from the occupant and THEY are doing it
    need to have a lightbulb moment
  • Kzlnd
    Kzlnd Posts: 548 Forumite
    lapat wrote:
    starlite

    please believe me when i tell you that there is a legal loophole that allows them to treat the property as empty.
    they have no one on there billing register and also they are getting no reply from letters that are sent to the property weeks before the procedure i have mentioned above.
    there not saying that is habited there treating it as a property that is empty due to lack of response from the occupant and THEY are doing it

    That's interesting, never heard of that :confused:

    As far as we are told, it's illegal to turn off the water supply. Bills paid or not. End of.
    It's water for goodness sake, it's hilarious that some think they should be allowed to turn off the supply!

    The leakage issue needs to be sorted, maybe taking a slice of the water companies profits and plonking it into the 'find and fix the leakage' pot should be done :rolleyes:
    The £2.00 Coin Savers Club = approx £22.00 :rolleyes: :j.. The 20p Savers Club = £17.80.

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    x
  • lapat
    lapat Posts: 816 Forumite
    As far as we are told, it's illegal to turn off the water supply. Bills paid or not. End of.

    who gave you that information


    The leakage issue needs to be sorted, maybe taking a slice of the water companies profits and plonking it into the 'find and fix the leakage' pot should be done

    dont you think this is already the case in one form or another ....!!!!!!!!
    need to have a lightbulb moment
  • saver_sam
    saver_sam Posts: 609
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    I knew someone who worked for a water company and he said for people that do not pay they do not cut them off, but they reduce the water down to a minimum so it trickles out of the taps.

    and I'm not sure if they still do it, but they also employed doorstep debt collectors to collect arrears
  • DJ1UK
    DJ1UK Posts: 368
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    I work for a water company and can confirm that disconnection on empty properties does take place.

    Usually a letter is sent out stating 'we think property is empty and will disconnect to prevent leakage and damage to the property in 21 days - please contact us if this is not the case.' (or to that effect).

    It is a very effective way of getting the correct details of the occupier - or disconnecting to prevent leakage if no one is there.

    Otherways are doorstep debt collection agencies / external debt collection agencies / solicitors and court action. Customers going through court action are usually resolved before court (final notice stage) where they decide to pay up.

    DJ
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,380
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    Of all the creditors I come across (I work for the CAB) South West Water are the fastest to issue a County Court Judgement. And if you ignore the judgement and are a property owner they have no hesitation in applying for a charging order.

    On the other side of the coin, if you play ball with them and negotiate a payment plan for paying off the arrears, you can then apply for Special Assistance, which usually wipes off half the arrears from previous financial years.
  • Mishy
    Mishy Posts: 282 Forumite
    I heard on the news the other day that if you don't pay your water bill then the water company can turn your water down to just a trickle. So that in the end you will pay the bill.
    Please Thank Me

    Thank You
  • Gareth1_2
    Gareth1_2 Posts: 381 Forumite
    My sister has never paid a water bill in her life and she has never even been chased for it
  • iwanttosave_2
    iwanttosave_2 Posts: 34,292
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    DJ1UK wrote:
    I work for a water company and can confirm that disconnection on empty properties does take place.

    Usually a letter is sent out stating 'we think property is empty and will disconnect to prevent leakage and damage to the property in 21 days - please contact us if this is not the case.' (or to that effect).

    It is a very effective way of getting the correct details of the occupier - or disconnecting to prevent leakage if no one is there.

    Otherways are doorstep debt collection agencies / external debt collection agencies / solicitors and court action. Customers going through court action are usually resolved before court (final notice stage) where they decide to pay up.

    DJ

    In my last property we had letters for the last owner that we just threw on the side after about 9 months we got worried that bailiffs were going to be knocking on so opened them and there were 3 of the letters that you speak off yet not once was the water disconected.

    Last I heard they wasnt allowed to switch it off if unless they could prove that the house was not inhabited. It breaches some civil rights law where everyone has the right to get access to clean safe water from their home.
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