Water Bills questions and comment

Gothicfairy

Kassandra

Look into this : http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/assistance/watersure


It might help ?

kassandra

Wow, that's brilliant thanks so much!
:T

Gothicfairy

Kassandra

You are very very welcome and I really hope it helps.

Also apply to your water company for every free water saving device they have..ie hippo (toilet) bags, shower head etc

hawse

I recently received a letter from Thames Water saying that were misinformed as to the responsibility for payment of water services for the block of flats I live in. When I first moved into the property I was informed by the managing agents and Thames Water that the water was included in the annual service charge paid by the landlord. Now Thames Water says they have been advised by the new managing agents that the lease makes no provision for the collection of these charges via the bulk meter and that invoices remain unpaid. It says it now needs to recover the charges from occupiers by applying a notional value and will be issuing each tenant with invoices dating back to February 2009. Are Thames Water right in asking tenants to pay the outstanding invoices given that we were told water was included in the service charge and billed via the bulk meter?

Cardew

hawse wrote: »

I recently received a letter from Thames Water saying that were misinformed as to the responsibility for payment of water services for the block of flats I live in. When I first moved into the property I was informed by the managing agents and Thames Water that the water was included in the annual service charge paid by the landlord. Now Thames Water says they have been advised by the new managing agents that the lease makes no provision for the collection of these charges via the bulk meter and that invoices remain unpaid. It says it now needs to recover the charges from occupiers by applying a notional value and will be issuing each tenant with invoices dating back to February 2009. Are Thames Water right in asking tenants to pay the outstanding invoices given that we were told water was included in the service charge and billed via the bulk meter?

Welcome to the forum.

When you say 'I was informed by the managing agents and Thames Water that the water was included in the annual service charge paid by the landlord.' Do you have that in writing?

It seems strange that you would even contact Thames water! and Thames water would surely have no idea what the arrangements were between Landlord and Tenant. They submit a bulk bill and it is paid.

Presumably your lease/rental agreement doesn't cover water charges?

Unless Thames water really did get involved in the lanlord/managing agent/tenant situation it seems it is not a Thames water problem. Someone has to pay for the water and it is down to the landlord/managing agent.

On the other hand a verbal agreement(if it can be proven) does have some weight in law. If you and other tenants were told the same thing by the managing agents, you have a case against them.

captainhazza

Greetings Money Saving Experts,

I am a student in North Wales living in rented accommodation with a friend of mine. We have recently received a letter from Welsh Water (addressed to someone else, presumed to be a previous tenant). The letter is a bill for the forthcoming year, April 2011 - March 2012, which is at an expected value of around £360. It does also, however, state outstanding costs of £1268.22, payable to a "debt collection agency".

When we first moved into the property in June 2010, we were not aware of any water bill, and assumed it was covered by the landlord. This however, seems to not be the case, due to this enormous bill that's been posted through the door! I'm unsure of our options, as we are certainly not accountable for the majority of this figure.

Gothicfairy

Call Welsh water and supply them with your move in date. As you are being billed RV they can start your billing from that date and just send out a revised statement.

Problem is of course you are still going to be hit with quite a bill but if you are honest WW should let you pay in installements to cover this years bill and the arrears

mrsrainman

Hi All, I have a quick question.

Yesterday we received a bill from Thames Water chasing payment of a bill dated February 2005 from my Partners previous address. When he moved to our current address in 2006 he informed TW and a final bill was sent out which he would have paid.
I don't understand why this has suddenly popped up. We haven't had a letter like this before. We pay by DD now and it's in my Partners name so it's not like TW have no record of him. We haven't got any bank statements, etc dating that far back and he doesn't know how he would have paid them (maybe over the phone)

I'd be grateful for any advice before we call them

Thanks

Cardew

mrsrainman wrote: »

Hi All, I have a quick question.

Yesterday we received a bill from Thames Water chasing payment of a bill dated February 2005 from my Partners previous address. When he moved to our current address in 2006 he informed TW and a final bill was sent out which he would have paid.
I don't understand why this has suddenly popped up. We haven't had a letter like this before. We pay by DD now and it's in my Partners name so it's not like TW have no record of him. We haven't got any bank statements, etc dating that far back and he doesn't know how he would have paid them (maybe over the phone)

I'd be grateful for any advice before we call them

Thanks

You would normally need to have some sort of proof you paid the Feb 2005 bill I am afraid(unless you can challenge it's validity) - you can't simply say 'he would have paid it'.

The Thames computer would not, and could not, match your partner's name at his present address to his old address. i.e. how would it know that 'John Smith' who lived at 120 Arcadia Ave in 2005 is the same John Smith who is now living at 1 Railway Cottages East Cheam?;)

However if you can prove that he paid a final bill in 2006, you might have some grounds.

Is this bill from Thames or a Debt Collecting Agency(DCA) if the latter, don't even contact them, deal with Thames if you can.

BackOnTrack

Cardew wrote: »

The Thames computer would not, and could not, match your partner's name at his present address to his old address. i.e. how would it know that 'John Smith' who lived at 120 Arcadia Ave in 2005 is the same John Smith who is now living at 1 Railway Cottages East Cheam?;)

With Thames you have a customer number as well as a property number so when you move within the area previous addresses are linked.