Water Bills questions and comment

Is Cardew on commission from Thames or Northumbria, 'cause he sounds like the answers I have been getting from Essex & Suffolk Water (owned by Northumbria) for nearly two years ! Thames are the company involved in the Southwark case, where the Council was found to be reselling and taking excessive commission, which they have had to return to tenants. Thames have (reportedly) withdrawn so called 'agency agreements' behind which this travesty hid.
In my case my Council took over £300,000 last year, having previously claimed that all the money collected from tenants was passed to the Water Company. Council class this as 'revenue', ie income or profit, but deny reselling !!? Some Council's in a similar position are now challenging the decision of Court re. Southwark.
Yes, there are three declared methods of charging, but most Council tenants are paying through their Council with their rent and, against advice, are not advised that metering is available and 'may' be cheaper. Fact - smaller Council property tenants WILL save substantially, since the water company sets the charge based on RV by providing factors to Council to apply to RV. Larger properties are disproportionately low.
Case in point - my charge from Council was over £10 per week. Calculators show a figure of less than half that for my one-bed flat. Early meter readings now show that I will pay less than £2 per week.
This subject is generally based on the 'agency agreement' element, which it seems is common only to Thames and Northumbria. However the factors provided by the Companies cause inflated charges, which Council's do not query due to their commission, this is the greater offence.
Ofwat think this is ok. Consumer Council for Water pass complaints to the Water Redress Scheme. Water Redress Scheme avoids the issue on technicalities. They can't even decide who is the customer, the Council or the consumer !!
If you are paying through your Council and in a one or two bed property, get a meter installed and hassle Council and Water Companies for redress direct, some tenants have been overpaying for decades.

Alan_Wednesday wrote: »

Curious that there is no response to my post of 22/9, is everyone that stunned ?
Meanwhile Government announce caps on energy, but fail to address profiteering by water companies !

I wasn't aware of the widespread practice of Councils collecting water charges from their tenants and adding 'a reasonable administration fee.' which appears to be an unreasonable fee?

It is also reprehensible that the Council are not informing tenants that metering may be cheaper, and all tenants have the choice to have their own water account and deal directly with the water company.

Personally I think that, like any monopoly, water/sewerage should never have been privatised and companies given a geographic area. To sell off a largely Victorian water infrastructure and get customers to pay for modernisation was a disgrace. It is quite indefensible that customers in the South West can pay up to three times as much as some customers in other areas.

The Water companies are culpable in many other areas, however in the case you have raised it seems to me that tenants being 'ripped off' is totally the fault of the Councils.

P.S. The total revenue a company can raise is strictly controlled by the Regulator(Ofwat). Therefore if thousands of customers elect for metered charges and save money, it is cost neutral to the water company. They can simply increase other charges to raise the same agreed revenue.

mrdave85 wrote: »

Hi all

I've been living in a new build, rented property for around 6 months. We did the usual letting utilities know we had moved in, and after receiving correspondence from South Staffs water saying they had our details, we've never received a bill.

How much should I pursue this? I've contacted them twice over our tenancy so far but no bill or letter. We're not on a meter, or at least, I can't find a meter.

Any advice is appreciated

All properties built since 1990 should have a meter - there is no provision for charging based on the Rateable Value(RV) as RV ceased to exist for new properties. So it is almost certain you have a meter.

Many water companies bill in April and Oct, but offer most people the chance to pay by monthly Direct Debit.

South Staffs Water do not charge for sewerage, that will be billed by one of the water companies bordering their area - usually Severn Trent - but South Staffs collect on behalf of Severn Trent.

golfergti wrote: »

The previous owner must have removed it then??
Thanks

It is not an easy job to remove a water meter and insert a pipe to replace meter.