Water Bills

leeegglestone

Im in process of getting my own place.
2bedroomed semi, living on my own. It has a bath at present however will want a shower.

What do i do about Water. do i simply call the local water provider & tell them my details etc and they will bill me. i dont think the property has a water meter.

so curious are there any other ways, like i know gas n elec, u can shop around 2 diff suppliers. this dont apply 2 Water does it, id simply have to pay what they say & how will they know what 2 bill me wiv no previous records for me. if they bill me 2much would i get a rebate?

Cardew

You have no choice of water supplier.

When you say getting a place of your own, I assume you mean buying it?

The normal rule is that on change of owner you will have to get a meter anyway - although I believe that is not always applied. All houses built post 1989 have a meter. Anyway you are almost certain to be better off with a meter for only one person.

P.S.
Lots of people refuse to answer posts with 'Text talk' and I think it looks dreadful!

leeegglestone

apologies it is an awful habit I suppose. Must be the generation, Im forever typing Emails & texts and so every character is spared.

Will I simply ring Northumbrian Water Customer Services, tell them I am taking over a property and to organise my own billing.

Will getting a meter installed, cost me or will they do it at no extra charge?

calleyw

leeegglestone wrote:

apologies it is an awful habit I suppose. Must be the generation, Im forever typing Emails & texts and so every character is spared.

Will I simply ring Northumbrian Water Customer Services, tell them I am taking over a property and to organise my own billing.

Will getting a meter installed, cost me or will they do it at no extra charge?

As far as I was aware most water companies will fit a meter for free. Also they should allow you to change back if being on a meter will cost more than the rateable value. But only in the first year.

But talking directly to the water company is best.

Yours

Calley

leeegglestone

At the point where i tallk to the water company. how long from then would it be, before I am officially with them and setup to use water. Is it instantly? if i already have a meter.

Or would i have to wait until a meter was put in & then it would start?

Suppose the same question goes for Gas, electric& Telephone, is there much time in between me applying to be with a specific company, to them connecting me

mancitychick

You willl have to pay water rates from the minute you aquire the property. If you opt for the meter you will be charged standard water rates until meter is installed. If you switch gas and electricity suppliers from the current suppliers this can take upto 6 weeks, so you will be billed by the curent supplier/s until the switch takes place. As for the phone it all depends on whether there is a line there or not.

Cardew

calleyw wrote:

Also they should allow you to change back if being on a meter will cost more than the rateable value. But only in the first year.

Calley

I may be wrong but I thought that was only for existing house owners and if you buy a house you have to get a meter. Although perhaps only certain water companies enforce that rule.

calleyw

Cardew wrote:

I may be wrong but I thought that was only for existing house owners and if you buy a house you have to get a meter. Although perhaps only certain water companies enforce that rule.

Only new builds have enforced water meters that I am aware of.

I was not aware when you a buy a property that is on rateable value they force you to move over to a meter. Unless they have changed the rules.

I had no choice as when I moved the property was already on a meter. But has saved me money. As the flat I moved out of was on rateable value and was going up to £210 a year. And my last bill for 6 months was £80.

Interesting to know though if it is true and to know what companies where enforcing it.

Yours


Calley

Cardew

calleyw wrote:

Only new builds have enforced water meters that I am aware of.

I was not aware when you a buy a property that is on rateable value they force you to move over to a meter. Unless they have changed the rules.

I had no choice as when I moved the property was already on a meter. But has saved me money. As the flat I moved out of was on rateable value and was going up to £210 a year. And my last bill for 6 months was £80.

Interesting to know though if it is true and to know what companies where enforcing it.

Yours


Calley

I found this:


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=20022&page=2&pp=10

If you look at the thread above you will find in post #16 the following statement:

I can explain this, having worked for Essex and Suffolk Water. There are areas which come under "Compulsory Metering", which means that whenever there's a change of occupier, the water company has a right to fit a water meter. They do not need to ask permission of the new owner, as that person does not become a customer until an account has been set up in their name. The water company won't bill that customer until a water meter has been fitted. Anyone living in the SS postcode area (Southend, Basildon, etc) is affected by this, as that is E&SW's Compulsory Metering area for now. The only way to avoid it is to either not move house, or to rent. They are only fitting meters in houses (not flats) which are being bought and sold, unless requested to fit one by a current customer.

By the sounds of it, the OP has just bought a house in a CM area, thus has no right or say about having a water meter fitted. However, he should have been informed by the solicitor dealing with her house purchase that the property is in a CM area. This is happening all over the country, with the various water companies forcing CM on new customers postcode by postcode. When E&SW has finished with the SS postcode area, they will open up a new CM area, determined by postcode. The same applies to all the other Water companies. The idea is to get everyone on a meter eventually.

If you've moved into a property that already has a meter fitted, you cannot request that it be removed, nor can you ask to revert back to the old system of rateable value (water rates).

If you request a water meter, you can ask to revert back to RV within 12 months of the meter being fitted, but the meter will not be removed. That way, when you come to sell your house, the next owner will have no choice but to be billed according to actual usage (i.e. by water meter).

That is in line with what I had read elsewhere. It would appear to depend on whether you live in a CM area or not and I have no idea how widespread these areas are.

Woby_Tide

Wessex/Bournemouth & West Hants water is obviously CM too. I'd say the majority of the Souths' water regions would be CM areas, not sure how far North it extends