Water Bills questions and comment

Somniac

£61 a month sounds extortionate to me. A 2 bedroomed flat should be about £28 to £30 a month.

Angie100

We've just had our bill in and it has gone up since last bill which we expected. however, neighbours bill is much less than our bill yet we live in the same style property, a semi joined to theirs with the same amount of rooms, bedrooms etc. It looks like we may have been paying more on every water bill since moving here in 2000. We spoke to Wessex Water and they said there is nothing we can do as the prices are based on the rateable values but surely it is not right that we should have to pay so much more than our neighbours for the same type of property. There must be some way that this can be looked into - does anyone know how to proceed. We are not on a meter. Thanks.

bristolleedsfan

Angie100 wrote: »

There must be some way that this can be looked into - does anyone know how to proceed. We are not on a meter. Thanks.

U need to find out from the Local Authority why it is that the rateable value of your house was under the old rating system higher than your neighbours.

Angie100

bristolleedsfan wrote: »

U need to find out from the Local Authority why it is that the rateable value of your house was under the old rating system higher than your neighbours.

Thanks - I don't know what part of the council is responsible for the old rate details - checked to see if there was a Valuations department but nothing mentioned. Wonder if anyone else has managed to query this with the council and if so what department they were referred to??? It seems like it's a grey area that badly needs updating to make it fair for all.

bristolleedsfan

[quote=Angie100;19730535_It_seems_like_it's_a_grey_area_that_badly_needs_updating_to_make_it_fair_for_all.[/quote]

Update is being made, its called "Water Meters". Everyone within each Water Company area pays the same Standing Charge + charge for water they use, cant be any fairer can it. :think:

Answer from Bristol Water is :


http://www.bristolwater.co.uk/news/mainNews.asp?newsID=247

• Rateable value - what is it, how do I change it, why do you use it, why is mine different from my neighbours? Why is my neighbour’s bill lower than mine?

See answer above. You can’t change it, as it is based on the last assessment made by the council’s rates valuer. Yours could be different to your neighbour’s because, for example, your house has had an extension added and is therefore worth more in rateable value terms. Also, if both properties are unmetered, it makes no difference how many people live in each one.

Cardew

Angie100 wrote: »

Thanks - I don't know what part of the council is responsible for the old rate details - checked to see if there was a Valuations department but nothing mentioned. Wonder if anyone else has managed to query this with the council and if so what department they were referred to??? It seems like it's a grey area that badly needs updating to make it fair for all.

Most(all?) councils do not keep records of the old Rateable Value(RV) of properties. - the system was abolished 20 years ago and the last time most RV valuations in UK took place was 1973.

Bear in mind that the RV was the notional rent that a property could command(in 1973).
So you could, in an extreme case, have a huge unmodernised mansion in several acres(now worth £millions) have a lower RV than a modern(in 1973) estate semi. The reasoning being nobody would want to rent, maintain grounds and heat etc the mansion.

As said above, there is a fair system. It is metering!

Your argument is really that someone is getting a 'better deal' than you are getting! However the majority of propert owners have no choice - they are on a meter.

In your case it could simply have been that when the RV valuation was carried out, your house was modernised(e.g CH, double glazing, had a garage) and your neighbour's house was not.

bristolleedsfan

Cardew wrote: »

However the majority of propert owners have no choice - they are on a meter.

quote]

You must be referring to new properties, because the vast majority of properties are unmetered.


http://www.waterwise.org.uk/images/site/Policy/Consultations/waterwise%20response%20to%20walker%20review%2018%20dec%2008.pdf

"These unmetered customers have no way of reducing their water ... For those households on flat rates, which are the majority of households in England and ..."

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/legacy/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/res_stk_brl_chrgstrat.pdf/$FILE/res_stk_brl_chrgstrat.pdf

"Under the projections shown in the consultation paper, the majority (53%) of Bristol. Water’s customers would still be paying by unmetered charges in 2030, ..."

Cardew

bristolleedsfan wrote: »

[You must be referring to new properties, because the vast majority of properties are unmetered.

Yes you are correct.

The intent of the Water privatisation act was that eventually all properties would have a meter and we would all pay for what we use.

All companies have the power to insist on a meter being fitted on a change of occupant, so only those who have lived in their property for the last 19 years should not have a meter.

However for some reason many(most?) companies fail to enforce that provision.

sparklygemster

I live alone in a 2 bed flat, 9 storeys up on the top floor, just had my water rates bill in the post, and its now £51 a month.....surely this is too much just for me?

Ive just applied online for a water meter, but if they cant fit one with me being so high up is there a way they can reduce the water rates to a more acceptable cost?

anniecave

where you are (on the top floor or the bottom floor) doesn't make much difference. The crucial thing will be the layout of the water pipes in the building. If there is an accessible place that they can fit a meter to, for your flat, they will, otherwise they can't.

I believe there may be an alternative method of charging if you want a water meter and they can't fit one though, and I think it may be based on number of occupants. Cardew would know more!