No water bill for 3 years now in debt

MONEYMAKINGMUM

Right, are you sitting comfortably?
We moved in and I rang both local water companies giving our name, address moving date. Both water companies said they didn't supply our water, even though I said I'd rang the others so it must be you. 3 wks later, on my daughters' birthday party day, no water. It was a major leak a few streets away, I rang both companies again - with my details - and they said it's not us, water back on after lunch, phew 30 kids using the loo.

We live in a housing association property, some tennants have no separate water bill as it's included in the rent so we thought no more about it.

Three years later we receive a massive bill - pay up now or go to court.
We rang, rang, rang and emailed asking why we received no bill for 3 years, it was up to us to let them know - we did but because of their incompetence and ineffective billing or deliberate error we were left with this horrendous debt.
We set up a payment plan of £30 pm which we have paid for 2 years. This year they will not allow us as the amount is 'too small'. We are on ISBJSA so are not flush . We could agree to £100 pm but we're not going to meet that amount unless we starve literally and sell ourselves a few nights a week. So £30 is the max at the mo, obviously being on benefits is not the long term game plan but it is the present situation.
I would like to know, are they allowed to send this big 3 year bill?
If it was your utility would you write or send someone round to see where the water's going?
Why on the phone did they not make a note of our calls, also when we did get through (3 yrs later) were passed from dept to dept with people saying 'I'll put you through' and cutting us off. Stress just remembering it.
So, sorry about the essay.
Thanks in advance.

Cardew

Yes they can send you a three year bill!

The water companies have no idea "where their water is going" and no idea if a property is occupied or not.

At best you will normally be allowed to pay off the arrears over the time the debt has built up. It would appear that £30 a month is not enough to pay your bill and pay off arrears.

Whilst accepting that many of the Utility companies can have incompetent staff, you should have written to them - not phoned - when you hadn't received a bill.

However there is little point in dwelling on what they should have done, or you should have done, in paying for 2 years you have accepted that the bill is valid and all you can do is try to negotiate a more suitable payment plan.

Clara2141

We've had (almost) the same problem recently....

We live in rented accom and believed out water rates were included in the rent...our letting agents changed all the bills for us (gas and elec) so assumed all was fine...until yesterday when we found out Anglian Water had not changed the name on the bill (was in our land lord's name) and the lazy post man was sending the letters through the wrong letter box (another boring story).

We pay yearly, and upfront for the year meaning we have a accrued a balance outstanding of over £600. Luckily they have back dated only one year, not to the start of when we moved in as per their policy and have said we can pay monthly for both this year and last year at £66 a month. They were very nice and understanding and asked if we could afford it...we can, a pain but we can.

Rather than saying you can only pay £30 a month, could you cut something else out and maybe produce an extra £10/15? Showing that you're trying to raise the payment rather than sticking at what is comfortable?

tori.k

if your on benefits they can arrange to take some out straight from DWP would prob end up less then you are paying now as someone i know has a couple of quid taken off the arears and they pay the current water bill straight from there IS,