Advice - Assessed water charge

Jellybean_2105

Hi, Ive been on the boards a while now but first time of posting.

Im hoping someone may be able to help me.

I had a water meter fitted in 2005 and my bills were £5 a month this increased to £9 in 2006 as I use very little water, it just me and my daughter here and im out at work all day. We dont have a washing machine and shower at my parents.

In 2007 I had a massive jump in water usuage and it was suggested I may have a leak. On looking into the matter it turned out that my meter is also connected to the upstairs flat.

The flat had been unoccupied previously - and obviously once they moved in (2 adults and 2 children) caused the large increase, so I have now been told that I will be unable to have a water meter.

I have been offered an assessed charge to pay of £141 a year which athough i'm sure its a lot more than what I use I am prepared to pay.

The problem I have is that I dont know what will happen to the outstanding water bill which is £339 and a sewage bill of £231.

They want me to sign and send back to accept the charges but I keep putting it off, as everytime I call with questions they wont tell me what will happen to the old bills. Im scared I will be left to pay the costs and I just can't afford to pay these large bills

Has anyone been in a similar situation or know what might happen?

Thanks

Cardew

If you can't get an answer from the water company about the metered charges, you might be better off contacting the Consumer Council for Water and ask them to intervene.

Common sense says that you should pay your assessed charge retrospectively instead of the metered charge. £141pa is good.

Jellybean_2105

I've finally heard back from Essex & Suffolk water and have now been told I owe £109 on the account which I have to pay over 3 months.

They closed the meter reading in March 2007 but say I am liable for costs up to this point although my bill at this date shows the amount outstanding was only £13.50.

I pay £9.50 a month so over the year I have paid £114 which is £27 short of the assessed charge. It still doesn't add up to £109 though

I can't work out how they got this figure but when I called them they said it was all worked out in my favour as if I hadn't ever had a meter I would have paid more - but surely that's not the point. Its not my fault they fitted a meter when it wasn't suitable

They have confirmed my average usage is 60 cubic meters of water per year which is comparable to a single occupancy usage - is there anyway I can get them to take this into account or am I likely just fighting a losing battle?

Any help is appreciated.

olly300

Get the consumer council for water involved if you are not happy.

http://www.ccwater.org.uk/

Also from now on when you have an issue with any company deal with them in writing not on the telephone. It takes longer but they can't lie.

andrewmp

Jellybean_2105 wrote: »

They have confirmed my average usage is 60 cubic meters of water per year which is comparable to a single occupancy usage - is there anyway I can get them to take this into account or am I likely just fighting a losing battle?

Sounds like your area is very cheap. I'm sure they estimated I'd use only a third of that but it would be £12 per month.

lexie2005

andrewmp wrote: »

Sounds like your area is very cheap. I'm sure they estimated I'd use only a third of that but it would be £12 per month.

It sounds cheap because E&S are just a water supply company, sewage charges will come from a separate company, normally AW or TWC...

I would definitely write in to complain & cc a copy to Consumer Council. I work for a water authority & I know things get much more attention as soon as CCW are involved.

Good Luck, I hope you get it sorted...

Jellybean_2105

lexie2005 wrote: »

It sounds cheap because E&S are just a water supply company, sewage charges will come from a separate company, normally AW or TWC...

Yes thats right, so far I am just trying to sort out the water supply. The sewage company keep trying to increase my direct debit payments to £50 a month :eek: but they have said they will put it on hold until this matter is sorted.

I have now contacted CCW and they have been very helpful. Im waiting on hearing back from Essex and Suffolk water now so fingers crossed

Thanks everyone

Jellybean_2105

Well I have finally got to the end of this but its not good news.

CCWater now think my complaint is unlikely to be successful as Essex & Suffolk water are within their legal right to charge me the assessed charge.

They did suggest it may be possible to install a meter if a seperate supply was laid to the flat but this would obviously be at my cost. Does anyone know how much something like this would cost?

Im definitely not going to be careful with how much water I use from now on! :mad:

Jesthar

Jellybean_2105 wrote: »

Well I have finally got to the end of this but its not good news.

CCWater now think my complaint is unlikely to be successful as Essex & Suffolk water are within their legal right to charge me the assessed charge.

They did suggest it may be possible to install a meter if a seperate supply was laid to the flat but this would obviously be at my cost. Does anyone know how much something like this would cost?

Im definitely not going to be careful with how much water I use from now on! :mad:

You'd have to ask your supplier what a separate supply would cost. I'm not sure if/why they couldn't just split the existing supply or put the meter after the existing split (such as in your flat by the main stopcock), but there are frequently problems like this with flats so I guess they have their reasons.

Are their only two flats in your block (converted house or similar?) If so, that would probably explain why you have a joint supply, and I'm a little surprised the company agreed to fit a meter in the first place in that case.

~Jes

Jellybean_2105

There are 4 flats in the block but the water meter only covers me and the flat above.

The stopcock in my place turns the water off upstairs too so im guessing all the pipework is just connected between the two of us?

Just wish there was something else I could do. It all seems so unfair

olly300

Jellybean_2105 wrote: »

There are 4 flats in the block but the water meter only covers me and the flat above.

The stopcock in my place turns the water off upstairs too so im guessing all the pipework is just connected between the two of us?

Just wish there was something else I could do. It all seems so unfair

Water companies unfortunately have a monopoly and added to that the law which is suppose to make customers use less water, they can treat you like s***.

The only thing you can do is get a plumber in to see if a separate stopclock can be put in to turn of your supply only. However if the space around the pipe work is not big enough they still can not put in a water meter.

I have two stopclocks in my flat controlling the water and though the company who install the meters are told to put 2 meters in, due to the limited space around the pipework this can't be done.

Oh I had to fight for 6 months and miss half a day of work which I am not paid for to be told this. Added to this because I live in a block of flats which has it's own postcode like lots of blocks of flats, the meter installing company and the water company know which flats they can and can't install meters into anyway. :mad: