Water Bills questions and comment

xmaslolly76

Im in the midlands and a family of 4 in a 3 bed house 1 adult 3 children and i pay about £60 a quarter we are on a meter and my kids dont understand the concept of water conservation. I could never afford to pay £500 ouch!!!

Pounds

I'm in the North West so would expect it to be cheaper than the South! I've checked and we've had the water people come and check the meter and they were satisfied with it. What else should we be doing to check it's correct?

Bush_baby

Hi - my first forum foray so sorry if it's a bit long-winded:

I noticed late last year when I was doing my accounts that I hadn't had a bill from Thames Water for sometime... When I checked, it was a year! So, after a small amount of consicence searching, I did the honest thing and contacted them. First of all via their web-site but heard nothing back. I then called them to discover that they thought I'd moved - which I most definiately hadn't. At the time they couldn't tell me why they thought this and said a new bill would be on the way. The bill arrived 4 months later. It was - rightly I think in the circs - billed for the last six months, but was very high. I rang them to query the charge and for my trouble, they are now going to bill me back 18 months from the last known meter reading. They also told me that the reason for cancelling my account in the first place was that they had been contacted by someone saying they'd moved into my address although they could not provide any details. I'm not sure I believe this - the property is metered so they would have taken a reading surely? But if this is so, then they've been taking money during from someone else during this time. So for my trouble in pointing out their mistakes, they will charge me the whole bill. Understandably I feel slightly aggrieved. Do I have any rights, moral or otherwise? Or am I stuffed for my honesty?! Thanks.

Cardew

Bush_baby wrote: »

Hi - my first forum foray so sorry if it's a bit long-winded:

I noticed late last year when I was doing my accounts that I hadn't had a bill from Thames Water for sometime... When I checked, it was a year! So, after a small amount of consicence searching, I did the honest thing and contacted them. First of all via their web-site but heard nothing back. I then called them to discover that they thought I'd moved - which I most definiately hadn't. At the time they couldn't tell me why they thought this and said a new bill would be on the way. The bill arrived 4 months later. It was - rightly I think in the circs - billed for the last six months, but was very high. I rang them to query the charge and for my trouble, they are now going to bill me back 18 months from the last known meter reading. They also told me that the reason for cancelling my account in the first place was that they had been contacted by someone saying they'd moved into my address although they could not provide any details. I'm not sure I believe this - the property is metered so they would have taken a reading surely? But if this is so, then they've been taking money during from someone else during this time. So for my trouble in pointing out their mistakes, they will charge me the whole bill. Understandably I feel slightly aggrieved. Do I have any rights, moral or otherwise? Or am I stuffed for my honesty?! Thanks.

Welcome to the forum.

You certainly have no 'legal' rights, in that water companies(unlike gas and electricity) can claim back 6 years for unpaid bills - even if it is their fault a bill was not raised.

I am not sure that you have been 'stuffed' for your honesty. In fact you have probably prevented a lot of fuss and bother. This is because many Utility companies when they do discover an account is in debt(and thinking you had left), simply pass the bill to a Debt Collecting Agency(DCA).

That said I think you have a case to negotiate a goodwill reduction in the amount owed for their mishandling of your account, and of course time to pay. If they don't play ball, contact the Consumer Council for Water to see if they will take up cudgels on your behalf.

susiejane09

i've not had a meter before, now i do have i don't understand the readings, help please..

my fist bill is from april 2nd to june 25th.
5m3 @113.13 volume charge 5.66 fixed charge 5.98 £11.64 water
5m3 @55.76 volume charge 2.79 fixed charge 10.82 £13.61 waste

total £25,25.

second bill june 25th to 21st december
57m3 @113.13 volume charge 64.48 fixed charge 12.82 £77.30 water
57m3 @ 55.76 volume charge 31.78 fixed charge 23.17 £54.95 waste

total £132.25

why is the volume charge changed so much? why is the fixed charge changed so much?

( the 2nd bill is estimated and i can't find the meter to check it)

Cardew

susiejane09 wrote: »

i've not had a meter before, now i do have i don't understand the readings, help please..

my fist bill is from april 2nd to june 25th.
5m3 @113.13 volume charge 5.66 fixed charge 5.98 £11.64 water
5m3 @55.76 volume charge 2.79 fixed charge 10.82 £13.61 waste

total £25,25.

second bill june 25th to 21st december
57m3 @113.13 volume charge 64.48 fixed charge 12.82 £77.30 water
57m3 @ 55.76 volume charge 31.78 fixed charge 23.17 £54.95 waste

total £132.25

why is the volume charge changed so much? why is the fixed charge changed so much?

( the 2nd bill is estimated and i can't find the meter to check it)

The fixed charge is an annual charge abd you are billed pro-rata. The first bill was for nearly 3 months, the second for 6 months.

On the first bill you have only been charged for 5 cubic metres of water and sewerage(waste).

On the second bill you have been charged for 57 cubic metres.

TessSW

Hi guys,

wondering if i could have some advice, Have just received Waterbill in new flat (shared with 2 other flatmates. It was 260 pounds for 6 months, whe i called Thames Water they said the average for a shared flat with 3 tenants is 240 pounds for the year so less than half what they have asked us to pay, i checked for leaks with their advice by turning of the water for an hour but the meter hadnt moved, what i did notice when doing this, was that between the date of the bill 5th of Feb and the date of checking 12th of Feb we had used 6 m3 id ont know if this is a normal amount and question it more when i consider that i was away over the weekend, and one of my other flatmates was away for four days too, can one person have use that much water, there are five other flats in my building, but dont seem to be that many meters is there a chance someone is unwittingly siphoning our supplies?
Our bills seem so high, given that i am at my boyfriends house most weekends, and that one of my other flatmates has to work away at least one or two days most weeks, we dont have a dishwasher and probably do one or two loads of laundry each per week.
Does anyone have any advice on if and how i would contest this bill?

Gothicfairy

First thing really, is the bill based on actual meter readings ?

It is a lot of consumption but if it is from a meter reading to a meter reading and there is no leak then you are liable for the bill.

vix28

Hi,
Need some advise.

My partner had a water meter fitted 3 nears ago. He has questioned the bill a few times, but always been told that there has been a leak etc, but it has finally been proved, thanks to a local resident, that his water supply is for at least 3 properties, and so his meter has been registering the usage of more than just his property, and he has been charged for 'excessive usage'. He has paid £1048 in 8 months, and Thames Water are still wanting another £600. They have agreed to investigate things, but have said that they will not remove the meter, even though there engineer has come out and confirmed we are linked with at least 2 other houses. They say that they can 'accuratley bill us for our water usage only' - we can't see how this is posible.
Where do we stand? What can we do?

Any help greatly received.

Vix

Wig

Recently missed the 1st April deadline to pay by and get a £5 saving on the bill.

Paid today 3rd April on the water co. automated payment telephone line by credit card and paid the discounted amount not the full amount

Will they accept it as full payment or will they still demand the final £5 at some point?

It's Welsh Water