Get a rebate on your sewerage rates charges

FirstClassMale

Here's a question for those in the know.

Our front gutters go to soakaway but the rear guttering goes into the sewer. If I installed a water butt at the rear would that qualify that a proportion was going to soakaway?

Cardew

FirstClassMale wrote:

Here's a question for those in the know.

Our front gutters go to soakaway but the rear guttering goes into the sewer. If I installed a water butt at the rear would that qualify that a proportion was going to soakaway?

No.

All or nothing.

Cardew

pom wrote:

Apparently, I can produce my own sketch so long as the property is worth less than £1000. Righty ho....


Does anyone have any ideas? I can't beleive that I have to pay for a service I'm not using unless I pay someone to prove I'm not using it :eek:

I suspect that this is just a bluff.

I would simply say that you have checked your plans and checked yourself and insist that you get the refund. You might add that you agree to pay them for the inspection in the unlikely event you are not correct.

You must put it in writing and threaten them with Ofwat.

Snow_Dog

Just been through this with Wessex Water.

The rebate is £17, one page form with space for hand drawn sketch of where drains and soakaways are.

You only qualify if ALL water goes into soakaways. This is water that "falls on your roof or the hard paved surfaces of your property" - which covers driveways that the water runs off into the sewer system.

Their answer to water butts and no soakaway is "Water butts can overflow and usually do not collect all the water from a roof".

No architect, surveyor or building inspector needed, however a proviso states "they may visit your property to check the surface water drainage".

Crabman

I've been told on the phone by severn trent that "if the pipes go into the ground it goes to the sewer". Apparently on my little diagram I need to sketch the location of the soakaway... where do I start looking?? :rotfl:

kami_3

Hi

All a bit new to this, so please be gentle

Im a downstairs flat, so no roof and I dont think have any soakaways etc. Do the drainpipes count as mine? Id of thought shared with flat above, but maybe not.

Do I qualify for this discount? and how do I go about it? Currently my annual water bill is around £50-55 for actual water and £96 for standing charges!

I have tried speaking to my water supplier as I dont see why I and the flat above pay the same water rates EACH, as the house next door, which is same size as both of us combined! had no joy with them, they just said if I wasnt happy make an official complaint.

If anyone knows the score, thanks

K

Lady_K

Crabman I'm with Severn Trent too so please let me know how you get on with them. I looked on thier site to get a form just in case but couldnt find one

My house is pre war, not sure how old exactly, maybe somewhere round 1930's at a guess. I know builders told me years ago that my front guttering drain pipe went off into the garden somewhere but they didnt say where. Theres another pipe from guttering thats at the front of the property too I presume thats the same.

There are 2 rear property guttering pipes too I dont know if they go to sewers or not. There is a big square grate cover just in front of my garage that must be the sewer I think coz the council came to unblock it some years ago when there was a problem they said its coz I'm on the end of the line of houses but theres one more joined onto me then another detached next to that.

My front drive slopes slightly to the pavement and next to my gate theres a cpncrete water thing standing up behind a little grate. I was told its where the fire brigade would get water from if ever they needed to so it shouldnt be covered, someone put a blue cross on it so I dont know if the front water may go into that or what.

I cant afford to pay a surveyor to find this out isnt there any other way?

Lady_K

My step mother lives in an ex council property even if she doesnt know shouldnt the council she brought it from know if she has a soakaway?

Cardew

There is no easy way to find out if you have a soakaway.

You either have to find plans, or a sewer cover 'downstream' from your property and check by running a hose onto your guttering.

You will not get any help from the water companies as they will just lose income.

Don't forget if water from your garden runs off onto the road you cannot claim.

The start point is that the majority of properties have soakaways and all new properties(with a very few exceptionss) have to have soakaways.

Lady_K

Does it make any difference if the guttering pipes dont go into the ground but into a little grate?

I'm going to try look for my plans. I did have the drains relaid when I moved in and they didnt relay anywhere near the guttering drains but I'll see if theres any info on the papers they sent