Water bills cost cutting article

Cardew

loveprada wrote: »

I am with Thames Water and what they are making so much money out of people who cannot get meters fitted e.g. I live in a flat and the pipes are shared and access is tricky. Although I'm on the average household user tarriff, they calculate this on the useage of a family so I'm paying £245 per annum and as a single person living in a flat, half of that is more realistic.

It's not even as though they are a small local utility firm, they sold for almost £5 billion last year, which indicates their profitability i.e. by overcharging their customers. How much power do we have to fight Thames Water?

All the water companies have their profits limited by the Regulator. If they weren't, as they have a monopoly they would really make some profits!!

Water charges are a compromise between paying for what you use and paying for the infrastructure. After all water costs nothing(as we have all found out with the recent weather) it is the infrastructure that costs.

How do they know how much water you use? They don't even know that you live on your own.

The point I am making is there is no completely fair way to charge for water.

d_giles

Thinking of changing to a meter? then look for the small print...... Anglia Water USED to offer£40 is they took more than a couple of months to fit a metre. When I changed over I kept quiet about chasing them up then received my 40 quid back from them.
:beer:

Plus a yearly rebate because of the soak a way:rotfl:

clearvisor

rtubb wrote: »

As an individual living alone in a house and with an eye on keeping water usage low with regards to the the environmental impact of water usage, I felt getting a meter would save me a packet in bills.

After enuiring about moving to a meter, Severn Trent visited my property, did some digging - then stopped work. Said I was part of a "shared" water system so couldn't have a meter fitted. They then offered me a "saver" tariff of £250 - £40 a year MORE than my current tariff!!

This was around 4 years ago and I've never enquired again. I'd definitely save a fortune by converting to metered water, but I wonder if anyone else has been refused a water meter fitting and what could be done about it?

rtubb, ever thought of finding who your sharing with and get them to think like you? nothing to loose,

jbcook

I recently made a claim for my surface waer drainage to United Utilities as I use a soakaway and they have reduced my annual bill by £40 per year. I then requested back payment as they have been overcharging me since 1997. They say that company policy is such that claims can only relate to the current year and onwards. Is this correct or is it a con?
regards
BC

Cardew

jbcook wrote: »

I recently made a claim for my surface waer drainage to United Utilities as I use a soakaway and they have reduced my annual bill by £40 per year. I then requested back payment as they have been overcharging me since 1997. They say that company policy is such that claims can only relate to the current year and onwards. Is this correct or is it a con?
regards
BC

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of posts on this question of backdating rebates.

Basically OFWAT have backed the policy of NOT backdating beyond the beginning of this billing year. However one poster got Thames water to backdate his. - Do a search on this water forum.

vclark1

omg - Am I the only one who feels they are getting ripped off by the water companies now!! I am on rates not a meter!!

I live in Morecambe, absolutely not the most expensive area in the country and in the article it says that water companies base their rates on rentable value. My home is an average 3 bed semi.

Why am I paying £492.00 per year (£41.00 pmth.) Your averages show nothing even close to this!! Help!

what can I do. I have 2 young children and two adults, we have been on a water meter at our last house and it was v expensive!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Cardew

vclark1 wrote: »

omg - Am I the only one who feels they are getting ripped off by the water companies now!! I am on rates not a meter!!

I live in Morecambe, absolutely not the most expensive area in the country and in the article it says that water companies base their rates on rentable value. My home is an average 3 bed semi.

Why am I paying £492.00 per year (£41.00 pmth.) Your averages show nothing even close to this!! Help!

what can I do. I have 2 young children and two adults, we have been on a water meter at our last house and it was v expensive!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Houses built prior to 1989 had their water charges based on the Rateable Value(RV) of the property. This was the 'council tax' system in use before the 'poll tax'.

It is important to note that the RV has no connection with the Council Tax banding. It was supposed to be based on the notional rent the property could command.

If you look at your water bill it will state your Rateable Value in £x. For each £ you will pay a charge for water and waste water(sewerage) e.g. for a property with a RV of £150. (charges just an example)

Water 150 x £1.10 = £165 Waste water 150 x £1.05 = £157.50

There will be small standing charges on top of this.

The average family of 4 will use approx 240 cubic meters a year with a meter. If you go to your company's website(or you should have a leaflet) you will see which method is cheaper.

I would be be pretty certain metered will be cheaper.

stupybus

How short-sighted are Sheffield City Council regarding water meters? I live in a (rebnted) council flat and recently the council sent out literature on how to save water - including a card to send to Yorkshire Water requesting a water meter be fitted. I replied - expecting to save about £150 a year and help the environment. Y.W. arranged to fit a meter but said I needed permission from the council - they refused! Go figure - I can't believe it!

lyghthouse

I just paid the Uswitch site a visit and it estimated that if I switched to a meter I would have to pay another £263 a year. Well I think I'll stay as I am thanks.

l7atg

I Have Just Had An Experience Which May Be Of Interest To Other People And Indeed To Martin. We Converted To Metered Water In Jan 07 And We Are A Retired Couple In A Semi. Understandably We Paid On An Estimated Basis At First And This Was £24.84 Per Month. We Got A Bill Dated 26 Sept 2007 Which Told Me The Actual Water Used For The Period Of 173 Days From 6 April To 25 Sept 2007 Costed £88.45-- This Included All Standing Charges/sewerage/surface Water Costs. I Therefore Calculated That A Cost Of £88.45 For 173 Days ( A Daily Charge Of Some 51p) Would Suggest A Charge For The Year Of About £187. I Allowed Then For An Increase Of Say 10% And This Would Mean Annual Cost Of About £206. Bet You Cannot Guess How Much My Water Supplier Estimated My Annual Water Costs As!!!! £350.85!!!!! As I Had Overpaid For The Previous Period By Some £75 They Very Generously Knocked This Off To Produce A Total Estimated Amount Due Of £274.07 For The Coming Year. They Therefore Intended To Request £21.18 Per Monthe Thru To October 2008. My Estimate For The Coming Year Was £206 (as Above) Less £75 (credit As Above) Totalling £131 --- Less Than Half Their Estimate!!! I Therefore Proposed To Them That I Pay £9.50 Per Month Not £21.18. After Some Resistance From Them Who Said That Their Figure Was An "average" For Two People Households, That I May Face A Big Catch Up Bill If I Used More Water Etc Etc They Reluctantly Agreed. I Did Suggest To The Company That In Future They Should Borrow From The Bank And Pay Interest Not From Their Own Customers.

Two Weeks Later I Did Exactly The Same Thing For My Mother In Law's Meter Bill And She Too Reduced Her Payments By 50%.

All Customers Should Look Very Carefully At Their Bills To See If Their Water Supplier Is Also Using This Clever Method To Borrow Money From Customers Interest Free. If They Over Charge A Million Customers By £143 Then This Gives Them £143 Million Loan At No Cost. Nice Work If You Can Get It!!! Or Get Away With It.

I Am Happy To Produce The Paperwork To Back My Statements Up And Am Happy To Name My Water Company.