Water Rates

Ladysheba

Can anyone tell me who to get in touch with regarding water rates. I live on my own in a flat but am paying more than families with 3 adults plus living in a three bedroom house.

supergrand

Ladysheba wrote: »

Can anyone tell me who to get in touch with regarding water rates. I live on my own in a flat but am paying more than families with 3 adults plus living in a three bedroom house.

ny queeries regarding water rates you can contact your local water authority their contact details should be on your bill. also it may be beneficial to you to get a water meter fitted. is it your own flat or is it rented, if its rented you may need to ask permission from your landlord if you want to have a meter fitted. you can get details of water meters from your water authority

loveangel

sheba

by the way your landlord cannot refuse to give permission under the water act, so that is a mere formality as you can have it fitted anayway.

the real probelm is whether you can have one fitted as many water authories find excuses for not fitting meters by saying your pipes are old or too big or in a akward spot or you have too many pipes or i bit of plaster needs to be removed to get at the pipe and that is a big big job.

Basicially if you had taken over a company like thames water and wanted to make money would you readily agree to fit water meters to flats where you had been happily been fleecing them for years by charging the costs for a bathaholic family of ten?
So just like traffic wardens who ticket and then helpfully say that you can appeal - invariably this means spending then next 2 years chasing councils like lambeth for even an acknowledgement that you have appealed while they threaten you with bailiffs letters and costs etc - basically blackmail - pay up because we will get your money by hook or by crook and noone will hear your moans of disapproval!
just like parking appeals to an indenendant adjudicator (patas who are reasonaly fait but resolutely refusing to find even the most corrupt and dishonest council to have acted wholly unreasonably - thereby awarding no costs) - the water industry had Ofwat where if you feel that the water company has unreasonably refused to fit a meter you can appeal.
If they refuse you are entitled to know quite specifically why - a simply thuggish - it's too diffuicult will not do. you shodld be told what needs to be in place for a memetr to be fitted and then you are free to get the work done yourself or even get a grant for the work and then ask the water company to fit the meter.
Water companies will put every obstacle in your way possible in order to prevent you from reducing your bill from £300-£400 down to £100 odd, just like a council when you have paid a clamper.

dmg24

loveangel wrote: »

sheba

by the way your landlord cannot refuse to give permission under the water act, so that is a mere formality as you can have it fitted anayway.

the real probelm is whether you can have one fitted as many water authories find excuses for not fitting meters by saying your pipes are old or too big or in a akward spot or you have too many pipes or i bit of plaster needs to be removed to get at the pipe and that is a big big job.

Basicially if you had taken over a company like thames water and wanted to make money would you readily agree to fit water meters to flats where you had been happily been fleecing them for years by charging the costs for a bathaholic family of ten?
So just like traffic wardens who ticket and then helpfully say that you can appeal - invariably this means spending then next 2 years chasing councils like lambeth for even an acknowledgement that you have appealed while they threaten you with bailiffs letters and costs etc - basically blackmail - pay up because we will get your money by hook or by crook and noone will hear your moans of disapproval!
just like parking appeals to an indenendant adjudicator (patas who are reasonaly fait but resolutely refusing to find even the most corrupt and dishonest council to have acted wholly unreasonably - thereby awarding no costs) - the water industry had Ofwat where if you feel that the water company has unreasonably refused to fit a meter you can appeal.
If they refuse you are entitled to know quite specifically why - a simply thuggish - it's too diffuicult will not do. you shodld be told what needs to be in place for a memetr to be fitted and then you are free to get the work done yourself or even get a grant for the work and then ask the water company to fit the meter.
Water companies will put every obstacle in your way possible in order to prevent you from reducing your bill from £300-£400 down to £100 odd, just like a council when you have paid a clamper.

You have really got a bee in your bonnet about people in authority! :rolleyes:

Ladysheba, it is very likely that you will be better off on a water meter. Just give your provider a call and they will advice you how to go about getting one installed x

Ladysheba

Have spoken to Severn Trent water and they say they can do nothing about the rateable value on any property. I need to speak to the people who make the rateable values. Living in a first floor flat I am doubtful that I will be able to have a water meter, am awaiting reply about this from Severn Trent

dmg24

I live in a first floor apartment/ maisonette, and I am under Severn Trent. My current property is a new build so the meter was already in, but both my previous (older, converted flats) had meters fitted at my request.

More information here.

Crabman

Moving this over to the Water Board

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Cardew

Nothing can ever be done to change your Rateable Value.

If you apply for a meter, and one cannot be fitted, you will get an assessed charge which will be the average charge see this quote from ST website

<H3>If it is not possible to fit a meter, can I have an alternative to the usual unmetered Rateable Value bill?

We do offer an alternative charge called the assessed volume charge. We base this on the type of property that you live in, eg. flat, terraced, semi-detached or detached. If we can’t fit a meter to your property, one of our customer advisors will be able to explain this charge to you and tell you if you will benefit from it.

</H3>