Thames Water & the Assessed Household Charge

PlutoinCapricorn

I am a low user of water and a single occupier of a small studio flat. I have always wanted a water meter, but know that one cannot be fitted for structural reasons: common supply pipe, mixed use block and all that. I have been on a standard tariff for many years, and would have saved a small fortune with a meter. I did not know that there were other options until recently: they were not publicised and people who know that they can't have one do not read the literature about meters.

When I heard about the Assessed Household Charge (AHC) in February 2008, I thought that, although the second best option, it would be a chance to cut down on water costs at last. I wrote to TW saying that I was a low user who could not have a meter, and asking to be transferred to the AHC. I am still not on it, and have gone right back to square one. There appear to be some gaps in the system, people in my position are just not catered for.

I did not get a reply, I wrote and emailed a few times last year, there seemed to be a lot of confusion. When my bill for FY 2009/10 came recently, and was for the same standard tariff, I sent recorded delivery letters and got some information at last. Apparently they did reply in March 2008: they sent me a copy recently and I saw immediately that this letter did not have my address on it: they use window envelopes and their own address would have showed! I have finally managed to get them to say that the only way to get onto the AHC is to apply for a meter and be told that one cannot be fitted. I know that this can take months, and it seems wasteful: I have a letter from TW from 2007 that says that my block cannot have meters for individual flats. I sent them a copy in the hope that they will see sense and save resources. Apparently TW have introduced a new Single Occupier charge starting April 2009, which would be perfect for me. I expected my bill to drop as from April 2008, I am now afraid that as the installments stop in November, if I am lucky it will be April 2010.

TW say that I could have applied for a meter at any time, so there will be no refunds even if I am eventually moved onto a lower tariff. Why would I apply knowing that I could not have one, TW have said so on two occasions. Is there anyone else out there in a similar position? Do you think that TW is stalling and forcing us onto this path just to get as much money as possible for as long as possible? I will now have to force myself to go through the motions of applying for a meter. It all seems so unnecessary.

Cardew

If you apply for a meter any charges(AHC) will be backdated to April 2009.

Given your history of the missing letter, they should backdate to April 2008, be nice at first and then make a fuss!

If you have any stalling from Thames, contact the Consumer Council for Water.

Noggin_the_Nog_2

A friend of mine in London also served by Thames Water applied for a meter and was told it couldn't be fitted for his flat because of the pipes; they then offered him an assessed tariff but told him it couldn't be backdated to when he'd moved in and that they hadn't every mentioned it to him before (he'd lived there several years) because he had never asked! I think there needs to be a national campaign bringing this to people's attention like martin has been doing with council tax rebanding. People shouldn't have to ask about schemes that they can't possibly know about in the first place!